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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26971519">all because you kissed me goodnight</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/buoyantsaturn/pseuds/buoyantsaturn'>buoyantsaturn</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>auctober2020 [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Mortal, Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, Campfires, Drinking, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Strangers to Lovers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 20:55:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>73,861</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26971519</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/buoyantsaturn/pseuds/buoyantsaturn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"I was just waiting for everybody to settle in so I could let you all know that there’s only gonna be one rule this year, and it’s that there’s no straights allowed.” Nico heard a few laughs from the other counselors, and cracked a smile. “That’s not even my rule! That came straight from Chiron. So, sorry, looks like Annabeth and Percy are gonna have to break up. However, I am a merciful ruler, so I will allow you both to stay here to work for the summer, as long as you promise to act as gay as possible.” </p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>auctober2020 [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1939612</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>235</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>404</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Solangelo Auctober 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hello!! happy auctober!!<br/>i started planning this fic sometime over the summer when i realized that i would not in fact get to go to summer camp this year. the rest of these chapters will not be posted for auctober, and i do not know when i'll get around to them, but i promise yall this au lives in my head rent free! i do Not stop thinking about it<br/>i hope you like it!!</p><p>title is from some campfire song that liz told me about</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Camp Delphi was a ghost town when Nico arrived. It was past midnight, so not a single cabin was lit up on the inside, and not even the emergency light at the center of camp had been turned on yet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knew this camp like the back of his hand, and could have easily navigated his way through it in the dark, but he pulled out his flashlight just in case. He would need to start getting back into the habit of using it, anyway. Nico lugged his duffle bag toward the cabins, but veered away from the main cluster. Cabin thirteen had been built a short distance away from the rest of the cabins, backed up to the woods so the sun had to work harder to shine through its windows. Nico was pretty sure the cabin had originally been built for storage, but when he became a counselor, he insisted that cabin thirteen be his. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door pushed open easily - he’d had Leo replace the doorknob last summer because it kept sticking - and Nico stepped inside. The cabin was just how he’d left it. Six bunk beds pushed against the walls in rows, leaving a center aisle from the door so that Nico could walk straight back to his bunk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shut the door behind himself and crossed the cabin. He dropped his duffle on the floor and wedged his flashlight in between the boards of the bunk bed, illuminating his workspace as he started making his bed. He easily could have turned on the cabin’s overhead light, but there was something calming about settling in under the dim light of his flashlight. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once the bed was made, Nico flopped onto the mattress, sighing at the familiar feeling of the thin plastic mattress underneath him. He’d remembered to bring a mattress pad this year, thankfully, so hopefully he would get a decent night’s sleep some of the time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stretched out as much as he could on the tiny twin bed. Between college dorm rooms and his months spent at Camp Delphi, the queen sized bed Nico had at his dad’s house was an infrequent luxury. But the calm quiet of the woods around him at camp rather than the noise of the city at home or at school was worth the tradeoff for a tiny bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico didn’t bother with pajamas that first night. He kicked off his jeans and his socks, shut off his flashlight, and allowed himself to drift off to sleep. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next morning was chaotic, as it always was. Somebody had started blasting music from the emergency alert system - given the choice of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wham!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Nico had to assume that it was Percy, though he had never been known to be an early riser - so Nico was forced out of bed. He was tempted to stay inside the cabin and get all the necessary cleaning done right away, but he thought that if he had to listen to the chorus of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go</span>
  </em>
  <span> one more time, his head might explode.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He threw on the same pair of jeans he’d been wearing the day before and marched out of the cabin. He intended to head straight for the emergency alert system at the center of camp to unhook the music, but as he approached it, he saw Percy and Annabeth dancing by the loudspeaker’s base. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy saw him first. “Nico!” he exclaimed, having to shout to be heard over the music yet his voice was still dulled. Percy ran toward him, throwing his arms around Nico once he was close enough, and Nico rolled his eyes. He patted Percy’s back once, twice, and then pushed him away. “I didn’t think you were here yet!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico took a step back, just to put some space between them. “Got in last night, late. Went straight to bed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After turning the music down, Annabeth made her way over to them and pulled Nico into a hug as well, though hers was just a quick squeeze before she released him - he appreciated that. “Hey, Neeks, it’s been a while.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” he replied. “How’s grad school?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her face absolutely lit up at the question. “Kicking my ass, but I love it. How was California?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico’s nose scrunched up. “Disgustingly hot and I’m glad to be back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy draped an arm around Annabeth’s shoulders, and then tugged Nico close to do the same, much to his displeasure. “Alright, alright, we can all catch up later. We’ve got cleaning to do!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico rolled his eyes. “Who died and put you in charge?” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he feared the worst - </span>
  <em>
    <span>no,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he’d just talked to Chiron a few days ago!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nobody </span>
  <em>
    <span>died,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Neeks, get your head out of the...mortuary?” Percy said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Chiron’s stepping back,” Annabeth explained. “It’s getting harder for him to move around, and since Percy and I have been here longest, he asked us to take over some of the more hands-on stuff. He’s still around, but he’s going to be sticking to his office, for the most part.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gotcha,” Nico said with a nod, his heart rate slowly returning to normal. “So, mighty King Perseus, what’s on the cleaning schedule?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy pulled his arms back so that he could count off on his fingers. “Start with your own cabin, then Frank, Leo, and Grover are going to clean the grounds, then you, me, and Jason are going to clean the mess hall, Rachel’s got the craft tent, and Annabeth and Piper are cleaning the infirmary. Did I miss anything, babe?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just Reyna, but she’s coming in today, so she won’t have time to do more than her cabin,” Annabeth replied. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, why are you cleaning the infirmary?” Nico asked, his head tilting in confusion. “Where’s Lee?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re not...totally sure,” Annabeth told him. “Chiron didn’t give us a very straight answer, so he either has an internship, a new job, or he just isn’t coming this year.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Chiron found a new nurse for us, though,” Percy added on. “I just don’t know, uh, their name or what they look like or when they’re getting here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico nodded once again. “Okay, great. Well, I’m gonna start cleaning then. Could you do me a favor, Percy, and put on some decent music?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy gasped. “Hey! </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wham!</span>
  </em>
  <span> is great! My mom loves </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wham!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, and I’m not your mom,” Nico told him as he stuffed his hands into his pockets and started to back away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You and George Michael have a lot in common!” Percy shouted after him. “You both eat ass!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico winced. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Please</span>
  </em>
  <span> just call me a slur next time.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy grinned and waved as Nico continued to walk away. “You got it, buddy!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By the time Nico had made it back to his cabin, someone had turned the volume back up on the music, which was now blasting George Michael’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>Freedom!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico made quick work of cleaning his cabin - really, it would have been difficult to be slow about it. They always cleaned the cabins from top to bottom at the end of each summer, so that really only left sweeping and dusting for Nico. There were a few spiderwebs that had accumulated in the corners that he was tempted to leave, just for the aesthetic, but decided against it when he remembered that with spiderwebs came spiders. He didn’t need campers waking him up with their screams because they saw a spider. He didn’t need a repeat of last year. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was the last of the three to arrive in the mess hall, where Percy and Jason seemed to be racing to see who could clean the tables faster. Nico rolled his eyes at their usual antics and went to find a broom, but before he could get far, Jason called his name. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as Nico turned around, Jason’s arms were wrapped around him, squeezing him tight. “Nico! I’ve missed you so much!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico patted his back once, twice, but Jason wouldn’t let him go. “Yeah, uh, me too. Can you let go now?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No way, dude, it’s been way too long! I’ve gotta make up for nine months with no hugs!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You saw me at Christmas, Jas, and if you don’t let me go right now, I’m gonna kick you in the balls.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason released him immediately. “Sorry, I know you’re not big on hugs, but--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You missed me. I know.” Nico punched him in the shoulder as he started to walk away, continuing his search for a broom. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>From across the mess hall, Percy exclaimed, “Ha! I win, Jas! Suck it!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No fair! Nico distracted me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s your own fault!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s right,” Nico cut in. “It’s kinda your own fault.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason glared in Percy’s direction. “Ass.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy grinned back. “Sore loser.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where the hell is the broom?” Nico called across the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Staff room,” Percy told him. “And don’t forget to grab your walkie while you’re in there!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The staff room was a small nook off one side of the mess hall, and it was no bigger than a typical walk-in closet - it didn’t need to be. Against one wall was a table that had a coffee maker and a stack of disposable coffee cups. There was a bulletin board above it that had important notes and emergency phone numbers - not that anyone had cell service so deep in the woods - as well as that session’s schedule. They were going to have an arts and crafts day on Saturday, since it was still too cold to go down to the lake. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sitting on the floor against the adjacent wall was a row of walkie talkies sitting on a charging stand. A couple were already missing, and after only a quick glance Nico could tell that those couple were Jason and Percy’s. His first year as a counselor, Percy had continuously lost his walkie, so Thalia had insisted that he put some sort of identifying sticker on it, so anyone else around camp would know who it belonged to - his stickers of choice from the arts and crafts tent had been a Lisa Frank-esque dolphin and a cupcake with a blue wrapper. Since then, the counselors had all decided to decorate their own walkies.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico’s eyes scanned the charging stand, spotting Rachel’s (covered in different colors of paint and an obnoxious amount of glitter that she claimed was an accident), Annabeth’s (which had one owl sticker and one cartoon book sticker), and Lee’s (that had a single </span>
  <em>
    <span>Minions</span>
  </em>
  <span> bandaid adhered to the side, which he had replaced every summer with a new bandaid from a new horrible movie) before Nico finally found his own. His was the only one without any color, of course, but it wasn’t his fault that the only good stickers he could find were a skull-and-crossbones pirate flag and another single white bone with the words </span>
  <em>
    <span>I found this humerus</span>
  </em>
  <span> written across it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico grabbed his walkie and clipped it on his front pocket, then found the push broom behind the door and brought it out into the mess hall. He walked a few laps around the room with it, swerving around and between tables, and tried to trip Percy up a few times when he got in the way. He shook the broom off outside once he was finished, and put it back where it belonged, then went to sit on the edge of the stage at the front of the mess hall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy and Jason were sitting across from each other at one of the tables and chatting while they waited for the rest of the counselors to arrive. One by one, the others started trickling in, heading for the staff room first to collect their walkies, then coming to sit at the tables closest to the stage. Nico was starting to feel like everyone’s eyes were on him, and he was considering moving to one of the tables when Reyna came up to him with a half-undone braid and silently handed him a hair tie. So, now he was stuck, at least until he finished rebraiding Reyna’s hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Neeks, are you in charge this year?” Leo called out to him from one of the tables. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico didn’t even look up from the back of Reyna’s head. “Yeah, actually. I was just waiting for everybody to settle in so I could let you all know that there’s only gonna be one rule this year, and it’s that there’s no straights allowed.” He heard a few laughs from the other counselors, and cracked a smile. “That’s not even my rule! That came straight from Chiron. So, sorry, looks like Annabeth and Percy are gonna have to break up. However, I am a merciful ruler, so I will allow you both to stay here to work for the summer, as long as you promise to act as gay as possible.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy reached across the table and grabbed Jason’s hands. “Dude, it’s our time to shine!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Annabeth rolled her eyes fondly and said, “Alright, Nico, get off the stage.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hang on, I’m almost done,” he told her, and quickly twisted the last few sections of hair together, then tied off the ends. He patted Reyna’s shoulder and said, “Okay, done.” He waited until Reyna stepped forward so that he could jump down, and the two went off toward one of the tables as Annabeth and Percy claimed Nico’s spot on the stage. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, we went over a lot of this stuff last night,” Annabeth started, “but just to reiterate, there’s a couple of changes this year.” She went on to explain that Chiron had asked Annabeth and Percy to step up, and that there would be a new camp nurse arriving soon. They covered a lot of the basics that were brought up at the beginning of every summer - emergency codes and what not to say over the walkies, reminders about the weekly schedules, and finally delegating who would do what during the first session’s check in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Annabeth and Reyna volunteered for camper check in, while Percy and Frank would check in the juniors - high schoolers who were too young to be counselors but too old to be campers. Grover and Rachel would be directing traffic and greeting people at the road, while Leo and Piper would direct people from the parking lot towards check in. Lastly, Nico and Jason were left pointing campers toward the proper cabin and reminding them to meet in the mess hall once they were settled in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Chiron will be greeting the parents in their welcome meeting, and Annabeth and I will be in here leading the orientation. We’ve got about half an hour before check in opens,” Percy reminded them. “So, go change, turn on your walkies, and report to your station. Let’s have a great summer!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was like a dam broke that afternoon. The camp was suddenly flooded with campers and their parents heading in and out of the cabins and bathhouses. Nico recognized a lot of faces from the year before, and noticed plenty of new ones as well, and even gave out a few high-fives to the kids that remembered him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He and Jason were rushing around, trying to make sure everyone got where they needed to go, until finally the line at the check in tables started to shrink. They reconvened at the start of the path that led toward the cabins, and Jason said, “I’m tired already.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me too,” Nico told him. “That doesn’t bode well for us.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it does not.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They greeted a few more sets of parents and campers, and when one shy boy asked for directions to cabin thirteen, Nico crouched down and asked him, “Are you staying in cabin thirteen? That’s awesome! That’s my cabin, and we’re gonna have a blast!” He raised his hand for a high-five, and the boy happily obliged. Nico sent him on his way with a smile on his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he stood back up, Nico met the eyes of a tall blond with a duffle bag slung over his shoulder. He grinned at Nico in a way that somehow gave Nico the sensation that he was falling despite feeling his feet firmly planted on the ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took a few steps toward Nico and said, “Hey, do you think you could give me some directions? I’m kinda turned around.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Check in table’s behind you,” Nico said, hoping that his face didn’t convey </span>
  <em>
    <span>any emotion at all.</span>
  </em>
  <span> This guy looked too old to be a junior, and too young to be the dad of one of the campers, so Nico didn’t know what he was there for, but he really wanted him to leave so that Nico could get his head on straight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The guy’s smile only brightened, and Nico felt like his fight or flight response had been triggered. “Uh, sorry, I’m actually looking for Chiron. I’m going to be working in the infirmary this summer.” He held out a hand toward Nico. “My name’s Will.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico was frozen. Thank </span>
  <em>
    <span>god</span>
  </em>
  <span> Jason was there. He clapped Will on the shoulder and said, “Hey, I’m Jason. I can show you to Chiron’s office, it’s just right over here.” Jason started to lead Will away, and while Nico was trying to convey </span>
  <em>
    <span>thank you for saving my life</span>
  </em>
  <span> with only his eyes, Jason shot him a look that said, </span>
  <em>
    <span>this dude is hot and you should go for it.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Betrayal,” Nico hissed, and turned around to keep greeting people. He tried not to let his eyes stray toward Chiron’s office, especially not after Jason returned alone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the last child was finally checked in, Annabeth and Reyna started packing up their table. They walkied for traffic control to return to the mess hall, where Percy and Frank were giving the juniors their purple camp shirts and their own mini orientation before the rest of camp gathered up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico and Jason had the job of going from cabin to cabin and announcing that it was time to meet up in the mess hall, and then making sure that everyone made it to the right place. They followed the last of the stragglers inside, and then motioned to Percy that they were good to go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy jumped up on stage followed by Annabeth, looking like the perfect pair of fun parent and strict parent respectively. Percy looked like he’d just hit a sugar high, while Annabeth’s eyes were focused on the clipboard in her hands. Nico figured she was starting to stress about the responsibility, but he knew that after today she’d be back to normal. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy stepped to center stage and clapped his hands in a pattern that Nico’s hands automatically copied, as did those of most of the campers in the room. It truly was the quickest way to quiet a crowd. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Camp Delphi!” he greeted, waving out at the crowd. “We’re just about ready to get things rolling, but first, we’re going to need all of the counselors to come up front here, and all of the parents and guardians to say their goodbyes and head outside. Camp Director Chiron is going to meet you outside and give you some important information in just a couple of minutes.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy and Annabeth headed back the way they came, and Nico and Jason exchanged a confused look. They normally jumped right into orientation, and had the parents say goodbye afterwards, but apparently they were changing things up now that Chiron wasn’t going to be leading orientation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy started waving Nico and Jason over, so they hurried toward the stage where the rest of the counselors were gathered around Chiron. Chiron’s eyes scanned the circle of counselors, and when he saw Nico, he smiled and said, “Nico, good to see you again.” Then he continued to look around, and once he deemed that everyone had arrived, he said, “Everyone, I’d like to introduce you to Will, our new camp nurse. He and I have already gone over what is expected of him, and he has received a copy of the handbook. Will, these are your peers. They have all been attending camp for over half their lives, so if you have any questions at all, any one of them will be happy to help you.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Annabeth, do you have everything you need for orientation? Percy, you’ve given the juniors their assignments? Everyone has their ice breaker prepared for after orientation?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just need Will’s fun fact, and then we’re all good to go,” Annabeth told him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wonderful! Then I’ll leave you to it,” Chiron said. He reached for the control on his motorized wheelchair and maneuvered himself out of their circle, then out of the mess hall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will cleared his throat. “Uh, sorry, what’s this about a fun fact?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy draped an arm around Annabeth’s shoulders. “So, Annabeth here is going to introduce everybody, and we all give a fun fact so the kids have something to remember about us. Like, mine is that I can hold my breath underwater for almost five minutes. Something simple like that.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will scratched at the back of his head. “Oh, uh. I can’t really think of one…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re in college, right?” Annabeth asked, and Will nodded. “So you’ve done ice breaker games. What’s your go-to fun fact?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will winced. “Well, uh, I don’t think these kids are gonna care very much that I came out to my mom when I was four, and then when I tried to come out for real in high school, she said she knew because I already told her.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Annabeth hummed. “Yeah, I don’t think that’s going to work. Everybody, head over to your tables and the three of us will figure this out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the majority of the counselors went to spread out across the mess hall, Rachel caught Nico with an arm around his shoulders. He quickly ducked out from under it. “So, that new medic,” she started.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico raised an eyebrow. “What about him?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s cute.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico forced his expression to remain neutral. “Is he?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, you would know better than me.” Rachel bumped him with her elbow and started to drift away toward table seven. “I’ll see you for arts and crafts, di Angelo. I’ll force some color on you one of these days!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You won’t,” he called after her, and continued across the hall to table thirteen. By the time he’d arrived, it appeared that all of the parents had made their way out of the building. Nico scanned the faces of the kids at his table - mostly dry eyes, though he noticed one or two that seemed to be hiding their tears. He’d have to keep a close eye on them for the next couple of days. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy and Annabeth had returned to the stage, this time with a microphone so that they wouldn’t have to shout for the next half hour or so. Percy clapped his hands again to get everyone’s attention, and once the room had quieted down, he welcomed them all to camp. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico zoned out through most of the rules. His ears pricked up whenever Percy or Annabeth said anything about the differences between this year and years prior, but most of it he already knew. He had to hush a couple of his campers and make sure they were paying attention, but for most of the orientation, he was able to gaze off into the distance - off to the side of the stage, where a certain blond was standing and listening intently. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He zoned back in when he heard Percy call out, “Cabin three, make some noise!” and one of the tables toward the front of the room broke out in cheers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Annabeth took the microphone from Percy’s hand and said, “For those of you in cabin three, Percy here will be your counselor for the next two weeks. It says here on my clipboard that the coolest thing about Percy is that he can hold his breath underwater for almost five minutes. Everybody, two claps for Percy!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The room erupted in a synchronous boom of </span>
  <em>
    <span>clap! clap!,</span>
  </em>
  <span> which was something they’d adopted a few years back to keep the introductions as short as possible. Otherwise, the different cabins would start competing to see who could cheer the loudest or the longest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico tried to pay attention, but introductions always felt infinitely longer than when teachers and professors would take attendance on the first day of school, even though there were only ten counselors. Maybe that was just because Nico had always ended up close to the beginning of the alphabet. Maybe he </span>
  <em>
    <span>shouldn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> have picked cabin thirteen - no, who was he kidding? He loved his cabin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He started drumming his fingers on the table during Piper’s introduction - cabin ten, meaning that Nico was next. Cabins eleven and twelve had been reserved for the juniors, who were expected to behave well enough that they didn’t need a counselor to look after them. They were basically counselors in training, after all. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nico, in cabin thirteen!” Annabeth announced, and Nico stood. A few of his campers started to cheer, but he held a finger to his lips and they quieted back down. He tried for a smile and awkwardly waved at all the kids who were now watching him intently, and when his eyes drifted back to Will, he quickly looked away. “Nico has traveled to more than twenty different countries and can speak four different languages! Two claps for Nico!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With the resounding </span>
  <em>
    <span>clap! clap!,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Nico took his seat. He was expecting a quick dismissal, and was frantically trying to remember which ice breaker game he was going to play with his cabin when Annabeth said, “And last but not least, we have a new camp nurse this year.” She swept her arm out to her right, drawing everyone’s focus toward Will, who was smiling and offering a tiny wave of his hand. “Will’s fun fact is that he’s going to school to be a doctor. He’s going to be working in the infirmary all summer, so if anybody needs an ice pack or a bandaid, either a counselor of a junior will take you to the infirmary to see Will. Everybody, two claps for Will!” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Clap! Clap!</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Annabeth handed the mic over to Percy. “That’s it for now! We’ll see you all back here for dinner in just a couple of hours. Campers, follow your counselors back to your cabins. We’ll start dismissing two at a time - cabins one and two, you’re up first!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Jason and Reyna directed their cabins up from their seats and out the doors, Percy and Annabeth came down from the stage to greet their own cabins. A minute later, Nico saw Percy and Grover - cabins three and four - lead their groups toward the doors, but at that point, Nico’s attention was pulled back to his own table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you really speak four languages?” asked one of the boys, who Nico guessed to be somewhere between ten and twelve years old. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico smiled. “I can.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Which ones?” another boy asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I dunno, I think you should guess,” Nico told them. All eight boys around the table shot a hand into the air. “I’m not gonna call on you, just shout them out.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Spanish! I learned Spanish at school this year!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No fair, I was gonna say Spanish!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico rested an elbow on the table and raised his thumb. “That’s one.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cool!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Chinese?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Japanese!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico shook his head. “Nope, not yet. Maybe someday.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh! English!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico stuck out his index finger. “That’s two!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, German?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Spanish!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We already guessed Spanish!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Out of the corner of his eye, Nico saw Piper leaning over from table ten, and tapped on one of his kids’ shoulders before she whispered something in his ear. The kid exclaimed, “French!” and Piper stuck her tongue out at Nico from behind the kid’s back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Piper, no cheating!” Nico called out, though he still raised another finger. “Alright, that’s three, only one more.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boys at his table continued guessing languages, though they kept repeating a few over again, either because they’d forgotten which ones they’d guessed or because they only knew so many countries. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I take a guess?” said a voice behind Nico, almost making him jump in his seat. He glanced over his shoulder, spotting Will standing there with his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans, pointing a smile right at Nico. “They’re guessing what languages you speak, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes! Help us, </span>
  <em>
    <span>please!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> One of the boys asked overdramatically, practically throwing himself onto the table between him and Will. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, what do we have so far?” Will asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico found himself frozen once again by Will’s presence. Thankfully, the kid sitting closest to him pointed at each of Nico’s three raised fingers and said, “Spanish, English, and French.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will seemed to only think for a second before his smile brightened. “Italian, right? di Angelo, that’s an Italian last name.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah.” He set his hand down, palm resting on the table, and turned back toward his kids. Right away he noticed that Piper’s table had cleared out, meaning that Nico’s cabin was already running behind. “Uh, time to go! Everybody up, and follow me!” Nico hopped out of his seat and spun around so quick that he almost collided with Will. He found himself looking up, up, </span>
  <em>
    <span>up</span>
  </em>
  <span> until he met Will’s eyes, and they both sprung backwards. Nico almost fell back into his chair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry!” Will exclaimed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico kept his eyes locked on the ground until he had fully avoided walking into Will again, and was about ten steps away before he looked up to make sure his cabin was following. They made it out of the mess hall without Nico making even more of a fool of himself, and once they reached the path to the cabins, he turned around and started walking backwards to keep an eye on his cabin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He noticed that Will must have followed them out of the mess hall, but was standing just outside the door, looking around like he wasn’t sure what to do. To be fair, Nico wasn’t sure what Lee usually did at this time, either, so he couldn’t have been much help if he tried. He certainly wasn’t about to invite Will back to cabin thirteen for some ice breakers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still, his heart sank as he watched Will stuff his hands into his pockets again and made his way toward the infirmary all by himself. </span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first night was always the hardest. All of the kids were filled with so much excitement and nervous energy that it was difficult to convince them to go to bed, but then as soon as their heads hit their pillows, they were out. Nico wished it worked that way for him - then he remembered that by the fifth session, he’d be so exhausted that it would. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Given that it had been at least nine months since he’d shared sleeping space with another person, it took him a while to actually let himself relax enough to sleep. And even then, he had to get used to the soft snoring from throughout the room or try to block it out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>No matter how hard he tried to get to sleep that first night, the morning always came too early. The loudspeaker at the center of camp served as their alarm clocks each morning, and although Nico felt like he’d only gotten maybe twenty minutes of sleep, he woke right up at the sound. He got to his feet, noticing that half of the boys were still asleep while the other half were pulling pillows and blankets over their heads to try to drown out the noise. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico decided to let them all sleep for a few more minutes. The alarm would shut off at any second, and Nico was happy to have a few minutes to himself to wake up. He changed out of his pajamas and back into the same black jeans and orange camp t-shirt he’d been wearing the day before - he only had two of the shirts and likely wouldn’t get a chance to wash them for a while, so he tended to wear them for as long as possible. Once he was dressed and could manage to blink without feeling like he could fall back asleep in a second, he went around the cabin and started waking his kids. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was another half hour before they were finally on their way to breakfast, and Nico was starting to get a headache. From lack of sleep or lack of caffeine, he didn’t know, but he was about to get some coffee and find out. He helped his kids through the breakfast line and made sure they were all settled at the table before he tapped on Piper’s shoulder and asked her to keep an eye out for a few minutes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>If he wasn’t so tired, he would have run to the staff room. Grover was already in there, stirring sugar into his drink, and stepped aside when he saw Nico coming. They all knew by now not to keep Nico from his coffee. They also knew not to try to talk to him until after breakfast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Except Will. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” he said in greeting as he walked into the room, and after a few second pause, he said, “Grover, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Will, good morning,” Grover replied. “How are you settling in so far?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pretty good, as far as I can tell,” Will answered. “You know, better after some coffee. Good morning, Nico!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At the sound of his name, Nico flinched, and the carafe spilled onto his hand. He ripped his hand away, hissing, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Cazzo!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>both at his new burn and the realization that he hadn’t left room for cream and sugar. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Woah, are you okay?” Will asked, stepping closer and reaching out for Nico’s hand before he snatched it away. “Um. Sorry.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico turned his back to Will and snapped a lid onto his coffee cup. He would have to live with black coffee for a little while, it seemed. He turned and marched back out of the staff room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he left, he heard Grover say, “Don’t worry about him. He’s not much of a morning person, or very good with new people. He’ll warm up to you, though! Y’know, considering we’re all...stuck here together. It’s hard not to get along.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something gave Nico the idea that that wasn’t all too reassuring for Will. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before the start of their first activity of the day, Nico made sure to run back for more coffee - and this time he was awake enough to know what he was doing. With a fresh cup of coffee that was now closer in color to his skin than his heart, Nico led his cabin out to the woods. They were scheduled for a nature walk with Grover and his cabin that morning, and then team building with Annabeth and her cabin that afternoon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a junior waiting for them with Grover’s cabin at the edge of the woods. There was always at least one junior with each activity to be an extra set of eyes to watch the campers, though occasionally they were expected to run the activity. Since they were going on a nature walk, and seeing as Grover of all people was going with them, Grover would be in the lead. The junior would just be there to take a camper back to the bathrooms if necessary, in this case. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico liked going on nature walks with Grover. He was an environmental science major and had taken just about every class relating to the outdoors as possible, so he knew what he was talking about. Not all of the kids found it all that interesting, but occasionally along the trail there would be rocks for them to climb and then jump off of, so they seemed mostly satisfied. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course it would end up being one of Nico’s kids that got hurt, not by jumping off a rock but by simply tripping and skinning his knee. He was the youngest in Nico’s cabin, probably eight years old at most, and he wailed at the first sight of blood. Nico was the first to jump to action. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Ben, it’s okay,” Nico said, crouching down in front of him and holding his hands gently over Ben’s knee. He made sure not to touch, just hoping to block Ben’s view so that he could start to calm down. “I’m sure it stings a lot, but you’re gonna be okay. Are you gonna be okay to keep walking?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ben shook his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, no,” Nico whispered, and leaned in conspiratorially. “Are we gonna have to cut it off?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That made Ben snort, which was gross considering the snot and tears. He shook his head and wiped away his tears. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you wanna go to the infirmary just in case?” Nico asked, and Ben nodded. Nico looked up, searching for the purple shirt of the junior - whose name he had not yet learned - and said, “Hey, can you take Ben to the infirmary?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually,” Grover stepped in, “Jake’s gonna need to know a lot of this stuff when he leads tomorrow’s nature walk, so do you think you could go? I just want to make sure he’s prepared.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico tried to hide his confusion. The whole point of having juniors around was so they could take kids back and forth so the counselors could stick with the rest of their kids and activities. But he didn’t want to argue, at least not in front of a bunch of people. So instead he said, “Yeah, sure.” He looked back to Ben and offered him a hand. “Are you okay to walk back?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I dunno,” Ben replied, but he took Nico’s hand and pulled himself to his feet. He took a few steps back the way they came, limping heavily. Nico was pretty sure he was overexaggerating, and if he continued on like that it’d take a full day to get to the infirmary and back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico turned back to the rest of the group and said, “We’ll catch up with you guys later.” As Grover led them all further down the path, Nico set a hand on Ben’s shoulder and told him, “I won’t make you walk all that way when you’re hurt. Do you want a piggyback ride?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that was how Nico found himself trudging into the infirmary with a child on his back, wheezing, “Ben, you’re choking me again.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry,” Ben said, and slid off of Nico’s back when he crouched down. He looked around the room - there were cabinets and a sink, plus a table and chairs, but no other people to be found. Ben took a seat on one of the chairs. “Where’s Will?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico frowned. “I dunno, let me try calling him again.” Nico unclipped his walkie from his front pocket and held it up to his mouth. “Will, do you copy? I’m in the infirmary, where are you?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then, from behind a door, Nico heard a thump, and then Will emerged. “Hey! Sorry, I didn’t hear you come in. What’s up?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico frowned, brow furrowing. “Why didn’t you answer your walkie?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will’s head tipped to the side in confusion. “Walkie? I don’t have one.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, you do,” Nico insisted. When Will only shrugged in reply, Nico rolled his eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will turned toward Ben instead. “What’s up with you, buddy?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ben raised his leg to show Will the scratch on his knee. “I tripped and fell and got hurt.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh man, it looks like it!” Will said, stepping toward him to get a closer look. “Is it okay if I clean that up for you? I have some cool bandaids, too, and I’ll even let you pick out which one you want.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Ben answered. Will crossed the room and grabbed one of many first aid kits out of a cabinet, and returned to Ben, kneeling down in front of him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m, uh, gonna go find your walkie,” Nico said, shifting nervously on his feet. “Ben, are you gonna be okay here with Will? I’ll only be a couple minutes, I promise.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ben nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cool. I’ll be right back.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will didn’t even look up as Nico left. Nico didn’t know if he was disappointed or pissed off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He ran over to the mess hall and went straight for the staff room. There, still sitting on the charger on the floor, was Lee’s - now Will’s - walkie. Nico grabbed it and ran back. Will had finished cleaning Ben’s scrape, and was now holding out bandaids for him to choose from. When Nico stepped through the door, Ben said, “Nico, help me pick!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are my options?” Nico stepped closer and bent at the waist, resting his hands on his knees did so. Will angled himself toward Nico so that he could see them better.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We have Spiderman, emojis, and Frozen,” Will told him, “but we’ve already vetoed the princesses, so it’s basically just Sven now.” Nico’s eyes flickered up to Will’s, and without saying a word, got Will to confess, “He vetoed, not me!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really, Ben? I mean, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>think Elsa’s pretty cool, but if you say so,” Nico said with a shrug. “My vote is Spiderman.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ben pouted. “I want Sven.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico almost laughed. “Aw, man, you mean my vote didn’t count?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I just like Frozen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico ruffled his hair. “Then just pick Frozen next time, bud. It’s your bandaid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While they were talking, Will was tearing open one of the Sven bandaids and placing it over Ben’s scratch. “Okay, you’re all set! Make sure you’re watching where you’re going next time, and you won’t trip so easily.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Will,” Ben said, and he jumped up from his seat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will got to his feet as well, and started to put his first aid kit away, but Nico stopped him by holding out his walkie. “This is yours,” he said, shoving it at Will’s chest when he didn’t immediately take it. “Keep it on you, and keep the volume on. That’s our main mode of communication around here.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um. Thanks,” Will replied. “Why is there a bandaid on it?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Decoration.” When Will didn’t appear to believe him, Nico pulled out his own walkie, showing off the stickers. “So we know whose is whose. I guess Lee wasn’t very creative in his decorating.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gotcha. So I can take this off, then?” Will asked, already peeling at the edge of the bandaid. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ben called from the doorway, “Nico, are we going back to the hike?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico stepped back out of Will’s personal space and said, “Uh, see you.” Then he spun on his heel and followed Ben out of the infirmary. </span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>At the end of the first week, the entire camp gathered together for a bonfire just before sunset. The kids were now familiar with their cabinmates, and starting next week they had the option to attend open activities. Tonight was their first chance to hang out as a full group, and a great time to make new friends. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico enjoyed the bonfire because it was his first opportunity in a week to see all of his friends at once. He also didn’t have to worry about following a schedule, because Percy and Annabeth were in charge of calling lights out. Every so often, Nico had to do a quick headcount to make sure all of his kids were still around the fire, and every so often he had to help one of them assemble a s’more. It was the most relaxed he felt all week. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It helped that he got to sit across the fire from Will and watch the way the shadows danced on his cheekbones, the way the fire reflected in his eyes and made his hair shine like gold. A little girl approached Will at one point and asked for help making a s’more, and Will’s smile lit up brighter than the fire in front of him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piper leaned into Nico’s side and nudged him with her elbow. “Looks like somebody has a </span>
  <em>
    <span>crush!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> she whispered in his ear. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico’s spine shot ramrod straight, and he turned to glare at her. “I do </span>
  <em>
    <span>not!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Piper looked like she was doing her best to fight off a grin. “Uh, I meant that little girl from Annabeth’s cabin. Are you good, Neeks?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>fine!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> he told her, his voice an octave higher than it should’ve been. </span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Somehow, Nico kept finding himself treated more like a junior than a counselor. No matter who else he was with, the other counselors </span>
  <em>
    <span>insisted</span>
  </em>
  <span> that Nico take any injured campers to the infirmary. Even if they weren’t from his cabin! He knew Piper must have snitched about what happened at the bonfire a few nights ago, and he was going to </span>
  <em>
    <span>kill</span>
  </em>
  <span> her once there weren’t any witnesses around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, Nico was taking one of Reyna’s kids to the infirmary - Reyna, his best and closest friend, who had chosen to </span>
  <em>
    <span>betray him.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He walkied for Will while he was on his way over, and for once, Will actually responded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Copy,” he said. “I’m already here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico frowned. It must have been a busy day for injuries if Will was there before being called. Nico opened the door for...Reyna’s camper, who he had not learned the name of, then walked in behind her to see that Will seemed to be reorganizing the cabinets. Again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Nico!” Will said with his usual bright grin. It seemed to be his default, meaning that Nico was entirely unable to tell if Will gave out those smiles to just anybody or if he ever… reserved them for anybody in particular. “Hey, Yan, did you get another bug bite?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yan scratched at her arm, as if just the mention made it start to itch, and she nodded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Take a seat,” Will told her, “and I’ll be right over.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico always intended to mind his own business, but just this once, he couldn’t keep his mouth shut. “Are you reorganizing?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep,” Will answered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico hesitated. Last chance to keep his mouth shut, and… “Again?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will sent him a smile. “Yeah, there’s only so much I can do around here, and you’re the first to come in today, so…” He shrugged. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico frowned. “You just sit around here all day? By yourself?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will nodded and hummed, like he didn’t see anything wrong with that. He grabbed a first aid kit and took it over to where Yan was sitting. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know you don’t have to, right?” Nico told him. “We all have walkies, and I know everyone gives you a head’s up when they’re on their way here. You can always hang out at one of the activities, we always need help supervising. Just, like, don’t stray too far from here in case somebody needs you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will put some kind of ointment over Yan’s bug bite, and then covered it with a bandaid. “Does that feel better?” She nodded again, so Will closed up his kit. When he moved to put it away, he stepped right up to Nico and asked, “So, what activity are you doing today?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico hoped he wasn’t blushing, though he could only imagine that he was - Will was </span>
  <em>
    <span>right</span>
  </em>
  <span> in front of him. “I’m, uh, around. Helping wherever I’m needed.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gotcha.” Will offered him another smile as he stepped around Nico to put the kit away. “‘Cause, you know, I haven’t left the infirmary much. I don’t really know where the activities are, but maybe you could show me to the closest one. So that way I’ll still be nearby.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mhm, sure,” Nico said, nodding a few too many times and dropping his gaze to the floor - or </span>
  <em>
    <span>anywhere that wasn’t Will.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Yeah, uh, if you’re ready to go right now, that’d be great, because Yan and I have to get back--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep, I’m good to go,” Will told him, grinning and holding his walkie in his hand. “Even remembered my walkie.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico felt like his heart was going to pound out of his chest. Why did Will have to </span>
  <em>
    <span>look </span>
  </em>
  <span>at him like </span>
  <em>
    <span>that?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>At the end of every two-week session, the entire camp got together for a game of capture the flag. The counselors were responsible for keeping the borders, since there weren’t exactly memorable landmarks in the woods, which left the juniors in charge of keeping the rules and calling the start and end of the game. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico loved capture the flag - he’d loved playing it when he was a camper, and he loved watching it as a counselor. His favorite part was helping the kids cheat. He never let them break any rules, but he would offer hints as to where the other team was keeping their flag or where they held their jail. He also never handed out information to anybody who begged for it, but would instead pull one of the quieter kids aside and give them the hints.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wasn’t the only one who cheated. All of the counselors had agreed to it, because when they were campers, </span>
  <em>
    <span>their</span>
  </em>
  <span> counselors had helped them cheat. They were only keeping up tradition. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will, however, had seemed </span>
  <em>
    <span>appalled</span>
  </em>
  <span> by the idea. He had taken to walking laps around the boundary to keep an eye out for any injuries, and caught Nico giving away the other team’s precious secrets. Once the kid ran back to their team’s base, Will marched right up to Nico and demanded, “Are you cheating?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico snorted at the accusation. “Uh, yeah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t just </span>
  <em>
    <span>give away</span>
  </em>
  <span> the other team’s location!” Will exclaimed, waving his arms around emphatically. “That isn’t fair!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t shake his growing smile. “Relax, Will, everybody does it. It’s just part of the game.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will appeared to deflate slightly as his argument lost steam. “You...</span>
  <em>
    <span>all</span>
  </em>
  <span> cheat?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, otherwise these games would take, like, six hours. They’d waste too much time searching for the flag or the jail when I already know where they are. Percy knows where my team’s flag is, too. And then Annabeth and Reyna are always on opposite teams so they can help their kids make a strategy. I think it was last year that Leo tried to teach a kid how to make a snare trap, but thankfully the game ended before they could finish it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will looked like he was going through a moral crisis just from being an accomplice. Nico shoved at his arm to knock him out of it. “It’s called teamwork, Solace. We’re all just trying to have a little bit of fun before the kids get picked up tonight. You should try it sometime.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will pouted. “I’m fun! I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> fun, you just haven’t noticed because I’ve been busy, you know, </span>
  <em>
    <span>working?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico folded his arms across his chest and nodded up at Will. He pressed his lips together and hummed an, “Mhm.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s true! I’m gonna prove it to you,” Will promised him. “I don’t know how, yet, but I will!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure you will,” Nico said. “Didn’t you have a job to do?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will jumped back - how was it that the two of them kept ending up so close together? - and told him, “This isn’t over, di Angelo,” as he started backing away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get to work, Solace,” Nico called after him, and snorted when Will tripped. “And watch where you’re going!” </span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camp was always quiet after the kids left. That Friday night was always the most relaxing, both physically and mentally. There was no need for constant headcounts or a brain-to-mouth filter, and all they had to do was sit around a bonfire and catch each other up on the last nine months of their lives. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was only one thing missing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Will, do you copy?” Percy said into his walkie for the third time in the last half hour, his voice echoing through the other nine communicators around the fire. “Come join us at the bonfire pit if you can hear this.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When no response came through, Annabeth said, “Alright, who wants to go get him.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silently, Nico raised a finger to his nose, and around the circle he saw others doing the same until Frank was the only one who hadn’t. When he finally seemed to notice everyone’s eyes on him, he exclaimed, “Hey, no fair! You have to </span>
  <em>
    <span>call </span>
  </em>
  <span>nose-goes, you can’t just trick me like that! Besides, I had to drill Annabeth’s team building course </span>
  <em>
    <span>all day </span>
  </em>
  <span>yesterday, and my legs </span>
  <em>
    <span>still</span>
  </em>
  <span> hurt!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piper patted Frank’s shoulder. “Okay, Frank we won’t make you go. Anyway, he’s Nico’s boyfriend, so I think he should have to go.” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Nico shrieked, certain that he came off as panicked and defensive, but he was going to keep telling himself that he was playing it cool.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The circle erupted in laughter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Damn, Neeks, already?” Percy teased. “C’mon, you just met the guy!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rachel jumped in next. “You know, now that I think of it, I did notice a spark between you two on Saturday at the sticker bin.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And to think on Friday, he wouldn’t even admit that he had a crush,” Piper added. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico glared at her across the circle. “Thank you, Piper, for reminding me that you’re on my hit list.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If Piper’s on your hit list, does that mean Will’s on your </span>
  <em>
    <span>hit that</span>
  </em>
  <span> list?” Jason asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico snapped, “I’m killing you next!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>To Nico’s left, Reyna said, “You know, if you would just go get him, this would all stop. For now.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Nico argued. “I refuse! The next time I stand up is when I go to bed, so somebody else do it!” With a huff, he crossed his arms and slouched in his seat, looking like a toddler mid-tantrum. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>To his right, Leo cooed, “Aw, poor baby’s cranky.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you want to get added to the list?” Nico hissed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo grinned. “Ooh, which one? Do I get to choose? I’m gonna need a minute to think about it, if that’s cool, but I can’t say I’m not curious.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I bet if we all shouted for him, he’d be able to hear us,” Grover suggested. “That way nobody has to move.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Grover,” Nico said. “You’ve officially been promoted to my new best friend.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Woah, hey! He’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> best friend!” Percy shouted from across the circle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, Neeks, I just want him here so we can all watch you get flustered,” Grover said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico glared. “You’ve officially been demoted to nemesis.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds more like a promotion to me!” Rachel leaned toward Grover for a high-five. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hate </span>
  <em>
    <span>all of you.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, alright,” Annabeth said over them all. “I’m gonna count to three, and then we’ll all shout for Will. One, two, three!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, guys, what’d I miss?” Will asked from directly behind Leo, making him jump in his seat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Will!” Percy exclaimed at top volume, despite seeing the other man directly in front of him. “Dude, I called you three times! We’ve been waiting for you!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico glanced up at Will over his shoulder. He looked surprised, and a little bit confused. “Oh! Sorry, I, uh, thought we were done with the walkies for a few days, so I shut mine off.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico snorted. “Didn’t I tell you to always keep that thing on you?” he said, his voice coming out far more fond than he intended, which he realized only a second too late when the rest of the group snickered around him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will must have heard them, too, because he looked around at the rest of the circle as he moved to grab a seat. “Sorry, did I interrupt something?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, don’t worry about it,” Reyna assured him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, we were just remembering Nico’s first summer as a junior,” Piper said, causing a few heads to turn toward her in confusion. “That was the summer you asked out Annabeth’s cousin, wasn’t it, Neeks?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico tried to give her his best </span>
  <em>
    <span>you will be dead by morning</span>
  </em>
  <span> glare. “Yes it was, and Magnus and I went on two very nice dates before he decided he liked Alex better than me, </span>
  <em>
    <span>thank you very much.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god, wait a second,” Percy said, his face full of glee. Nico braced himself for what Percy was about to say, and prepared to leap through the fire to strangle him if necessary. “Oh my god, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Nico! </span>
  </em>
  <span>You have a </span>
  <em>
    <span>type!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Laughter filled the circle again, from everyone besides Will and Nico. Will, of course, because he didn’t get the joke, and Nico because of the dreaded realization that slowly filled him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh my god, I </span>
  </em>
  <span>do</span>
  <em>
    <span> have a type.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico had been the first to go to bed, not because of how deeply his friends had tried to humiliate him, but because he genuinely could not keep his eyes open any longer. He was knocked out for a solid thirteen hours, and camp was empty by the time he finally strode out of his cabin. He let himself into the mess hall’s kitchen and made himself a breakfast sandwich for the road, eating it as he drove the camp’s golf cart the mile or so down to the beach.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nobody was swimming, likely because the water was too cold, so for the most part they all lazed around in the sand. Piper and Reyna had brought hammocks, which they’d strung up in the trees, and Frank and Leo were trying to reassemble an old volleyball net. Nobody had a volleyball, as far as Nico knew, so he wasn’t sure what their intention was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as he parked the cart, Percy was on his feet, running toward Nico, and met him halfway to the beach. “Dude, you’re finally awake! C’mon, you and I have some serious shopping to do!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico frowned. “What? Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, apparently Frank and Leo want to play volleyball, and we’re all definitely gonna need some alcohol sooner or later--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why </span>
  <em>
    <span>me?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy’s face lit up. “Because if I remember correctly, you had a </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> important birthday this year, and I think we ought to show off your new and improved driver’s license!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico’s face went blank. “You want me to buy you alcohol.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah! You gotta break in that ID sooner or later, so why not now?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You could at least </span>
  <em>
    <span>pay</span>
  </em>
  <span> for it,” Nico pointed out. “Or </span>
  <em>
    <span>help.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pfft, when you have your dad’s credit card? No way! Besides, who else’s dad wouldn’t even notice if a hundred bucks went missing?” Nico scanned the beach, tallying off Piper’s dad, Jason’s dad, Annabeth dad </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> her mom, Rachel’s dad, and Frank’s grandma. Before he could counter Percy’s point, though, Percy draped an arm around Nico’s shoulders and turned him around to head back to the cart. “And, as your self-appointed big brother, I think we need to have a very important chat.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please </span>
  <em>
    <span>god,</span>
  </em>
  <span> no.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy turned toward him and set his hands on Nico’s shoulders, smiling big. “Not even God can save you now! Let’s go!” He looked back to the rest of the group and shouted, “Bye, guys! We’ll be back in a couple of hours!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico chanced a look back at the beach as well - he didn’t intend to, but his eyes landed on Will immediately. Will was looking back, though the second they made eye contact, Will’s gaze dropped to the textbook in his lap. Nico thought he might’ve seen Will’s ears turning pink, but then Percy shoved him into the golf cart. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The closest town was a half hour drive, straight down the road. Percy could’ve fallen asleep behind the wheel of his Prius, and as long as the axles were aligned, they would’ve made it safe and sound. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately, Percy did not fall asleep. Maybe two minutes into their trip, he said, “So… Will, huh?” as though Nico didn’t know </span>
  <em>
    <span>exactly</span>
  </em>
  <span> where he wanted this conversation to go. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico crossed his arms and stared at the trees that passed by outside his window. “Would you just say what you’re going to say so we can get this over with?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy reached over to shove at his shoulder. “C’mon, dude, he’s cute, right? And you can’t deny it, you </span>
  <em>
    <span>totally</span>
  </em>
  <span> have a type, and Will fits it to a T.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So what if I think he’s cute? Looks aren’t everything.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, point.” Percy held out a hand between them and started counting off on his fingers. “But, counterpoints: He’s nice. He’s good with kids. He’s studying to be a </span>
  <em>
    <span>doctor,</span>
  </em>
  <span> which means he’s smart </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> ambitious. And Nico, I think he’s into you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico groaned. “Would you quit </span>
  <em>
    <span>doing that?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy returned his hand to the wheel. “What? What am I doing?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Getting my hopes up!” Nico shouted, throwing his hands up in the air and finally turning to glare at Percy. “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>always</span>
  </em>
  <span> do this! You talk a guy up, and you convince me that he likes me, and then I make a fool of myself by asking him out! Since the very first time I ever asked a guy out-- I mean, all you really had to tell me was that Magnus was single and into guys, but I still fell for it! And it’s not gonna happen again!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dude.” Percy set his hand on Nico’s shoulder and squeezed. “I didn’t realize… I’m sorry, I thought I was helping. It’s just that you haven’t dated anybody in, like, a million years, and I want you to be happy! And I know you’re perfectly happy on your own, but I’ve seen the way you get when we all start to get coupley around you. I can tell you want more.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico shrugged Percy’s hand off his shoulder. “One year.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s been </span>
  <em>
    <span>one</span>
  </em>
  <span> year since I last went on a date, not a </span>
  <em>
    <span>million.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“How come you never said anything?” Percy asked, trying to keep his volume low, though Nico could tell he was nearly bursting with excitement. “You gotta tell me stuff like that!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t, actually,” Nico said, just to make Percy pout. “I didn’t say anything because it didn’t go anywhere. It was, like, the first week of the fall semester, and he was in my chemistry lab. He asked me out, and we went out for dinner one time, and then he never texted me again. And...then he dropped the class.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy winced. “Oh, dude… I mean, that was clearly all on him, right? Like, that guy had problems. Who asks somebody out in the first week of the semester, anyway?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico snorted. “Okay, yeah, that’s on me for not realizing that it was bad timing to begin with. But…” He sighed. “You’re right, Perce, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> want more, but I’m sick of putting myself out there just to get shut down </span>
  <em>
    <span>every time. </span>
  </em>
  <span>If you’re right, and Will </span>
  <em>
    <span>does</span>
  </em>
  <span> like me, then he’s gonna have to act on it. And I’m certainly not gonna put myself through that again for something that might end up being nothing more than a summer fling.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, don’t go selling yourself short already! You never know what could come from this. I met the love of my life at Camp Delphi, and maybe you will, too! You can’t go into anything - </span>
  <em>
    <span>especially</span>
  </em>
  <span> not a relationship - with some preconceived expiration date. You just gotta </span>
  <em>
    <span>go for it.</span>
  </em>
  <span> See what happens!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico took a deep breath. “Okay, fine. I’ll see what happens. But I’m still leaving it up to Will to start.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you going to tell him that it’s up to him?” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Obviously not.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mr. D was not happy to see them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The second Percy walked through the door, Mr. D dropped his head into his hands and groaned, “Oh, joy, is it summer already?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good to see you, too, Mr. D! How’s business been?” Percy asked politely, bouncing up to the counter and leaning against it. “Hey, can I use your phone?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. D moved out of the way. “Knock yourself out.” He glared out into the store, watching Nico as he grabbed a handbasket and then set a bottle of vodka inside. “And you, I hope you’re a better actor now than you were last summer.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico looked up. “Uh, no, sir, but I’m actually twenty-one this time.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. D’s eyes narrowed. “Uh-huh. Sure you are.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rather than argue, Nico ducked his head and went down the next aisle in search of tequila. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, mom!” Percy said into the phone. “Yeah, camp’s going great! Nico and I came into town to grab some stuff, so I just thought I’d let you know we’re all still alive up here and not being digested by a pack of bears.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s no such thing as a </span>
  <em>
    <span>pack</span>
  </em>
  <span> of bears,” Nico called out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’d better not be stealing anything back there!” Mr. D yelled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dude, I’m on the phone,” Percy reminded him. “Anyway, mom, how’s things at home?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico stepped back into Mr. D’s line of sight and made it clear that he was placing another bottle in his basket. “I think you’re confusing me with Leo again. He and Piper are the ones you called the cops on last year, not me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right. So that makes you the one who’s fake ID I shred.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh. Yeah.” Nico turned his back and walked further into the store. “Percy, what do you want for mixers?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get some Coke,” Percy called back to him, and then returned to the phone. “Sorry, mom, I gotta go help Nico. I’ll call you again the next time we come into town. Love you, too.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t see any,” Nico said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Percy hung up the phone, he shot Mr. D an incredulous look. “You don’t have </span>
  <em>
    <span>Coke?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. D grinned. “This business is proud to sell </span>
  <em>
    <span>Pepsi</span>
  </em>
  <span> products, now and in the future.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy pouted. “It’s like you don’t love us anymore. And to think this is how you treat your favorite customers!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If the two of you don’t buy something soon, I’ll have you arrested for loitering.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico frowned. “I don’t think that’s an arrestable offense. Percy, come pick something.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure we can find something to use as a mixer at camp.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, fine.” Nico came back to the front of the store and heft his basket up onto the counter. There were maybe fifteen different bottles of varying liquors and mixes for an assortment of drinks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He started unloading everything onto the counter, and got about halfway through before Mr. D said, “ID please.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico met his gaze. “You mean my official state of California driver’s license that says I turned twenty-one in January of this year?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If such an item exists, yes,” Mr. D responded. “Though judging by that baby face of yours I’d have to guess you’re not even out of high school yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“High school--”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Nico stopped himself with a huff. He had to remain neutral, or else Mr. D was going to destroy his driver’s license the same way Nico lost his fake ID. He reached into his pocket and brought out his wallet. “This is my real legal license, and if you shred it, I’ll call the cops.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. D snatched it out of his hand. “I’ll be the judge of that.” He examined the license with a hum, holding it up to the light and turning it in his hands before deciding, “I don’t believe you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What!” Nico jumped up and ripped his license from Mr. D’s hold. “It’s even got the holographic stuff on it that my fake didn’t! This is my </span>
  <em>
    <span>real license!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. D shrugged. “I have the right to refuse service to anyone, and I believe that you’re underage.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy gestured to the full counter of alcohol. “This is </span>
  <em>
    <span>easily</span>
  </em>
  <span> two-hundred bucks worth of booze, and you’re gonna refuse a sale? Dude.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just show him your ID,” Nico said to Percy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah!” He patted his pockets. “I don’t have it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You drove us here!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Another crime to add to the list for when the cops arrive, then,” Mr. D muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Would you just ring us up already?” Nico snapped, and Mr. D’s eyes widened. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Will you get out of my store?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico brought out his black metal credit card and waved it between them. “Once we’ve paid for everything and have it bagged up and in our hands, yes.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. D narrowed his eyes, but Nico didn’t flinch. After a ten second staring contest, Mr. D relented and started scanning. A few minutes later, Nico and Percy were loaded down with bags and heading out of the store.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy stopped and turned around at the door, asking, “Hey, do you know where we can find a volleyball?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get out!” Mr. D shouted as Nico pulled Percy out of there. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They loaded the bags into the back seat. “Has he always been such an asshole?” Percy asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think he’s getting worse with age,” Nico replied. “Alcoholism will do that to you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy nodded. “It’s a wonder he hasn’t burnt the place down for the insurance money yet because of us.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That would imply he has insurance. Man, if I knew he was going to be such an ass I would’ve stolen more stuff.” Nico reached down the front of his pants and pulled out two travel-size bottles of rum, then tossed them into the backseat with the rest of their haul. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy nearly collapsed from the force of his laughter. </span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Will enjoyed drinking, but he didn’t like getting drunk. He wasn’t a huge fan of the taste of most drinks, but he liked experiencing the occasional buzz. Really, it was the impending hangover that stopped him from drinking too much.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After Nico and Percy had returned, loaded down with bags upon bags and a single volleyball, the group remained at the beach until the sun started to set. Then they’d moved to the campfire, passing around snacks that Nico and Percy had acquired while they were out. Will figured that meant that he wasn’t getting a real dinner that night. That was when the alcohol was brought out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo served as bartender for a while until he got a little too high on his own supply and forgot to put any mix into the mixed drinks, which was when Reyna took over. She made a </span>
  <em>
    <span>fantastic</span>
  </em>
  <span> margarita, so good that Will was tempted to have another, but when he stood up to head back over to the bar, he sat right back down again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Careful,” Grover said beside him. “They don’t taste like it, but Reyna’s drinks are </span>
  <em>
    <span>strong.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Will blinked a few times until his eyes were back in focus. “Yeah, you could say that again.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Nico,” Reyna called from the bar, and Will’s head turned toward her voice. What about Nico? He wanted to see Nico. How long had Nico been sitting next to him? “Did you get any more rum? We’re out of Captain.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico’s head tipped to the side as he thought, and then his whole body started tipping until he caught himself on a hand. Will tried not to feel upset - he wouldn’t mind if Nico leaned against him. “Uh, I dunno. I’ll ask Percy.” He grabbed his walkie from where it was clipped on his front pocket, but it slipped between his fingers when it tried to flip it around in his hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why was he calling me?” Percy asked from the other side of Grover. “I’m right here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico bent forward to try to find his walkie, and Will leaned in to try and help, but as he did so, he found two small bottles sitting in the dirt at Nico’s feet. The light of the fire was just bright enough for him to see the label on the side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will snatched up one of the bottles and held it up for Reyna to see. “Hey, Reyna, I found some rum!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, there was a hand around his and fingers trying to pry the bottle out of his hold. “No, not that one!” Nico exclaimed, tugging on Will’s hand until Will’s entire body leaned toward him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Why?” Will asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico’s eyes met Will’s, and it felt like time stopped. Nico’s eyes were wide, and Will was able to watch the reflection of the fire dancing in them. His cheeks were flushed and his lips were parted slightly, allowing the puff of his breath to escape. It smelled sugary, but was tainted by the sour twist of the alcohol he’d drank. They were </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> close to each other, and Will couldn’t tell if it was his brain or the alcohol that was telling him to close the distance between them, but just before he could… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That bottle was in his pants!” Percy shrieked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico snorted. He slapped his free hand over his mouth and nose, but that didn’t stop Will from seeing the way the corners of his eyes crinkled as he started to laugh. Another second later, Nico released Will’s hand and wrapped both of his arms around his stomach as he cackled, tipping backwards until he fell right off the log they were sitting on. His laughter didn’t even miss a beat when he hit the ground, only becoming louder with the impact.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rest of the circle around them was roaring with laughter as well, but Will was awestruck by the way Nico’s nose scrunched up when he laughed, and the way his feet were kicking at the air. When it seemed like Nico could breathe again, Will offered him a hand back onto his seat and blurted, “You have a cute laugh,” that he could only hope was drowned out by the noise around them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico snorted again, and Will was falling in love with that sound. “What?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In a panic, Will ducked his head, fully intending to pretend that he hadn’t said anything, and spotted Nico’s walkie lying at his feet. He reached down for it and held it out to Nico. “I said you dropped this!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh! Thanks,” Nico said, smiling at Will like he’d just received the best gift in the world. The sight alone made electricity shoot through Will’s heart, and absently he wondered how it hadn’t killed him instantly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>What did Will have to do to make him smile like that every day?</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Will’s hangover the next morning wasn’t horrible, but it was still enough to make him wish he’d drank more water the night before. He chugged about half a bottle, then popped a couple of painkillers before he headed outside. He didn’t know if anybody else would have painkillers with them, so he brought his bottle with him, just in case. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He headed straight for the cafeteria, knowing that he was going to need quite a bit of coffee to get through the morning, and found most of the other counselors already gathered there. They offered him a few half-hearted greetings, but perked right up as soon as Will mentioned painkillers. He left them the bottle and continued on his way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once he had his coffee, Will returned to the table and asked, “Where are Nico and Leo? Still sleeping?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In the kitchen,” Piper answered. She had her head resting on the table, and Annabeth was stroking her hair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are they feeling okay?” Will asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leo threw up in the middle of the night,” Jason answered, “but I think he’s better now.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will nodded. “And Nico?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few looks were traded around the table, by those who could safely turn their head without getting nauseous. Will could only assume the worst. Frank reached across the table and slid the bottle of pills back to Will. “You might want to take those to him.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh. Sure.” He took the bottle and stood, turning his back to the group before he could see the satisfied grins the others shot across the table. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will walked back to the kitchen, wincing in sympathy and all the clattering and clanging he heard, but when he stepped around the corner, he found Nico looking much less dead-to-the-world than he’d expected. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, good morning,” Will greeted, causing both cooks to look up in surprise. “I, uh, brought painkillers, if either of you need them.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He held up the bottle, and Leo immediately ran toward him. “Yes! Oh my god,” he said as he took the bottle and shook out two pills. He swallowed them dry, and before Will could tell him that he shouldn’t do that, Leo grabbed him by the face and yanked him down, planting a kiss on his cheek. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Gracias, mi amigo.</span>
  </em>
  <span> You’re a </span>
  <em>
    <span>lifesaver.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um. No problem,” Will replied. He watched Leo skip back toward the stove, and saw Nico glaring at him as he went - or maybe he was just squinting in the light. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Pinche cabrón,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Nico spat as he went by, causing a laugh to burst from Leo’s mouth. Something gave Will the idea that whatever Nico said wasn’t supposed to come off as a joke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will stepped further into the kitchen, stopping across a counter from Nico. “So, uh, did you need some, too?” Will asked, holding out the bottle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico turned his focus back to Will and nodded. “Yeah, thanks,” he said, and when he met Will’s eyes, he wasn’t glaring. He shook two pills out of the bottle and popped them in his mouth, downing them with water which Will was glad to see. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, um.” What did Will need to say in order to have a good reason to hang around longer? “What are you cooking?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico’s lips quirked up in the corner. “The greasiest, most disgusting breakfast you could ever imagine,” he answered. “How much do you want?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was the moment when Will decided he was going to woo Nico like no camp counselor had ever been wooed before.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hello and happy auctober!! remember how i said i wasn't going to update this again this month? haha whoops amirite<br/>we're calling this "authority figures" for auctober because counselors are technically authority figures to children right? yeah. anyway. enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Will still didn’t know his way around camp all that well, seeing as he had barely left the infirmary for the entire first session, so it didn’t make much sense to him that he had been put in charge of giving people directions. Well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>in charge</span>
  </em>
  <span> probably wasn’t the right term, since Leo and Piper were there too, but Will couldn’t exactly stand by and let them do all of the work. He just hoped he wasn’t confusing the cabin numbers too much and getting kids lost. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It felt like half the day had passed with them showing campers to their cabins, when in reality it had only been an hour or two by the time Percy came over their walkies and said, “Traffic control, you can head on in.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will didn’t notice anybody else moving, but was his job not considered traffic control? He was technically directing foot traffic, after all, so Percy was probably referring to the three of them. However, when Will started to head toward the mess hall, Leo grabbed his arm and said, “Woah, dude, you’re not getting out of this so easily.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will turned back to him and frowned, throwing a thumb over his shoulder as he said, “But Percy just said--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Traffic control is Nico and Frank, out by the road,” Leo explained. “We’re the last ones to head in, so we’ve got another ten minutes at least.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“God, don’t remind me,” groaned Piper, who was bent at the waist with her hands on her knees. “I can’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>wait</span>
  </em>
  <span> until it’s my turn for check in, and I get to </span>
  <em>
    <span>sit</span>
  </em>
  <span> for two hours instead of stand.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just sit in the dirt,” Leo told her. “Duh.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Piper straightened up and punched him in the arm. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“You </span>
  </em>
  <span>sit in the dirt, you little gremlin. You’re such a pain in the-- </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hi!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Can we help you find your cabin?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will and Leo spun around with perfect expressions of innocence as a little girl walked up with her parents, and allowed Piper to point her towards cabin two. Once the family had started on their way, Will looked back toward the check-in tables, where Percy and Rachel were packing things up. “Hey, Leo,” Will started, “are you sure you got your timeline right?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Leo glanced over his shoulder, and grinned when he saw the check-in table being closed down. “Nice! We’re ahead of schedule! C’mon, man, we just have one more job to do before we can head in.” He grabbed Will’s arm and pulled him toward cabin thirteen. He called back over his shoulder, “See you inside, Beauty Queen!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The three of them made quick work of going around to each of the cabins - Piper to the girl’s cabins and Will and Leo to the boy’s - and corralling everyone toward the mess hall. They followed behind the group to make sure everyone went to the right place, and found themselves just outside the door as the camp golf cart drove up onto the sidewalk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A handful of kids had lingered by the door, amazed as if they’d never seen a golf cart before, and rushed toward it as soon as Nico stepped out. He was immediately swarmed by children trying to hug him and get his attention, to the point where he was knocked off his feet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Careful!” he heard Rachel exclaim before Percy came around the table with his arms held up in the air.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What, no hugs for me?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Half of the kids dogpiled on top of Nico got up and tackled Percy instead, until he too was on the ground. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A few parents rushed forward to pull their children away as Piper called out, “C’mon, everybody, you can have all the hugs you want after orientation. Let’s head inside!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Most of the kids immediately jumped to their feet and fled into the mess hall, so Piper only had to threaten once to send them back home with their parents before the rest of the children ran inside. As soon as he was kid-free, Will made his way toward Nico and offered him a hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think they bruised me,” Nico commented as Will pulled him to his feet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, you’ve had worse,” Percy told him. He was sitting up on the ground, holding a hand out toward Will. “What, no help for me?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will shrugged. “You kind of asked to be tackled. Nico didn’t.” Percy pouted up at him, but Will was already reaching for his hand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will turned back to Nico, prepared to ask if he wanted Will to look over his bruises, but Nico was already heading inside. He didn’t look toward Will as he walked past, but Will thought he could see the beginnings of a suppressed smile on his lips. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Will,” Piper called out to him. She was already through the doors, and parents were already starting to leave. “Come sit with me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He followed her across the mess hall and sat in the last open chair at table ten. Piper sat immediately to his right, and a short distance away, Nico was on his left. Will looked back to the table and found ten pairs of eyes watching him intently. He tried to smile, but something about the way those ten little girls were staring at him had him unsettled. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finally, one of the girls at the opposite end of the table called out, “Are you Piper’s boyfriend?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh--” Wow, could she have said that any louder? Even Reyna had turned toward the noise, and she was halfway across the mess hall. Not to mention the snickering he could hear at the next table over. “Nope.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Piper leaned forward. “Missy, don’t you think it would be more polite to ask him his name first?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Missy’s eyes narrowed, and never strayed away from Will. Why did he feel threatened by this fifth grader? “If you’re not her boyfriend, then why are you sitting here?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The laughter to his left got louder. “Geez, Piper,” Nico said, “control your children.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Piper leaned around Wil and glared. “Control </span>
  <em>
    <span>your</span>
  </em>
  <span> children! My children are fine.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re not his </span>
  <em>
    <span>children,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> one of the boys at Nico’s table argued. “He’s not my dad!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico leaned forward and rested his chin on his palm. “Are you sure about that, buddy? How do you know your parents didn’t sign over legal custody to me for the next two weeks?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even from the angle Will watched from, he could see Nico starting to smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Another boy blurted out, “Does that mean we have to call you ‘dad’ now?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico immediately recoiled, his nose scrunching up adorably. “Gross, no. Think of me as, like, that fun step-dad that you call by his first name.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The boy sitting right beside Nico - who was probably the youngest at the table - tugged on Nico’s sleeve and said, “Since I don’t have a dad, can </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> call you dad?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico sighed, then nodded. “Okay, yeah. Carter gets to call me dad, but the rest of you should call me Nico.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will’s attention was pulled back to table ten when the girls suddenly started chanting, “Piper’s got a boyfriend!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will flinched, and waved his hands frantically in an attempt to get the girls to stop. “No, I swear, we’re not--” He turned to Piper, his eyes wide and panicked as he said, “I mean, you’re very nice! But I just see you as more of a friend--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Piper set a hand on his arm. “It’s okay, Will, I understand.” Then, all of a sudden she was leaning back against him with an arm thrown over her eyes, wailing, “You only have eyes for someone else!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girls at the table started to laugh. Piper composed herself, then whispered in Will’s ear, “Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.” She winked before turning her attention back to the table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will’s heart stopped. What did she know? And </span>
  <em>
    <span>how</span>
  </em>
  <span> did she know it? His eyes flickered toward Nico’s table to see if he heard anything, or-- </span>
  <em>
    <span>No!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Don’t look at Nico, that’ll give everything away! He just needed to remain calm and pretend that nothing had happened. He didn’t like Nico, he barely knew the guy! So what if the first time he saw Nico smile, it was like the clouds had parted? Maybe the clouds actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> parted, and Will’s feelings for Nico were nothing to write home about. That totally made sense, right?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey Piper,” one of the girls called, “if Carter gets to call Nico ‘dad’, then can we call you ‘mom’?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aw!” Piper reached out and tapped on the tip of the girl’s nose. “Please don’t.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was a good thing that Will had always been a sort of social butterfly. He made friends easily, and he never had a problem hopping from one friend group to the next. It almost seemed like that was all leading up to his time at Camp Delphi, where he was suddenly the outcast who had to find ways to make friends with this strange assortment of people. He learned quickly how he could best help out at some of the activities - but only the ones close to the infirmary, and partly because he didn’t know where any of the other ones were - and he started table-hopping during mealtimes. It was infinitely better than hiding away in the infirmary all the time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After hanging out with cabins one and two in the arts and crafts tent, Will was invited to sit at table one for dinner, so he made himself comfortable in the seat beside Jason. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Feel like you’re getting the hang of things around here?” Jason asked before biting into his burger. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will shrugged. “For the most part, yeah. Still not quite used to the walkies - and all the codes for everything! How do you even remember all that stuff from the handbook? It’s like, thirty pages.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A lot of it is stuff we all knew already from going to camp,” Jason explained. “But I get what you’re saying. Those emergency codes can get confusing, and a little bit panic inducing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right?” Will stabbed his fork into his salad, and thought of his next words carefully. There were children on all sides, after all, and they used codes for a reason. He couldn’t just start talking about a potential kidnapping and have Jason’s entire cabin up all night in a panic. “Like, obviously those codes are in place for a reason, but do they have to be so...weird? I spent half of my morning trying to remember which one was which before I got frustrated and went to hang out with Percy’s cabin instead.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, would you rather they be weird, or too easy to guess?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will lifted a bite of salad to his mouth. “When you put it like that…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The handbook kinda sucks, anyway,” Jason continued. “I’m sure you know all the important stuff by now, as long as you’ve read through the whole thing once. Was there anything else you needed help with?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Unless you can find a way to keep me from forgetting my walkie everywhere,” Will told him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t do that, no. But you should decorate it, like the rest of us do.” Jason took his walkie off his belt and held it up for Will to see. There was a single sticker of a storm cloud with a lightning bolt pasted on the back of the device. “It just helps us identify them, so if you do forget yours somewhere, the rest of us can easily figure out who it belongs to. This one actually used to be my sister’s, back when she was a counselor, but I like the lightning bolt, so I stuck with it. We’re having another arts and crafts day on Saturday, actually, so you could probably ask Rachel to help you find something, if you wanted.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will nodded. “She probably knows the arts and crafts tent better than anybody else, right? I mean, I don’t think I’ve seen her in clothes that aren’t covered in paint.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, she pretty much doesn’t leave the tent for the whole second half of each session.” Jason ate a few fries off his plate, then continued. “A bunch of us have, like, a </span>
  <em>
    <span>thing</span>
  </em>
  <span> that we do for the second half. Annabeth has the obstacle course, Grover does nature walks. Reyna does this wilderness survival thing where she teaches the kids how to make a shelter and start a fire and whatever. That’s pretty cool, actually, and if you ever find the time you should definitely see if you can tag along. What else… Oh, uh, Percy’s always on lifeguard duty whenever we have beach days, and he’s also in charge of canoeing. And then there’s me and a couple others who are just, you know, floaters.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What about Nico?” Jason shot him a look, and Will choked on a lettuce leaf. “And, uh. Frank?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jason nodded. “Right. Nico’s a floater, too. So he just goes wherever he feels like going. He likes Grover’s nature walks, and I think he spent a lot of time in the arts and crafts tent last week.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will hummed. “Cool. Um. And Frank?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jason grinned. “I know you only wanted to ask about Nico. It’s alright, your secret’s safe with me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will flushed. How could he have been so obvious? He had barely even left the infirmary for the last two weeks! “So. Arts and crafts?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’ll be there tomorrow afternoon.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Will tried to play it cool when he entered the arts and crafts tent the next day after lunch. He hadn’t quite decided whether or not he should act like he didn’t know Nico would be there, but that was dumb, because Will had a copy of the schedule. Not that he could really </span>
  <em>
    <span>read</span>
  </em>
  <span> the schedule, but he didn’t think that sounded like a very reasonable excuse. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So he decided that he would just pretend that he didn’t see Nico when he walked inside - that his eyes hadn’t scanned the room for him and then his feet hadn’t intentionally walked in the other direction. Will walked toward Rachel and offered her a greeting before asking to be pointed in the direction of the sticker bin. Thank god he at least had a good reason for being there that didn’t involve stalking a counselor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will made his way toward one of the sets of shelves against the wall and grabbed one of the plastic boxes. He set it on top of the shelf to start going through it, though his eyes strayed out into the room for a moment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I see you’re finally showing your face outside the infirmary,” Nico said, suddenly appearing beside him with his arms crossed, leaning slightly against the shelves. Will startled, his head whipping around to face Nico just in time to see him suppressing a smile. “Looking for someone?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will dropped his eyes to the sticker bin. “Nope! Just, ah, making sure I found the right sticker bin. And it’s not </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> fault that the map and schedule are more complicated than they need to be.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico peeked inside the bin, then clicked his tongue. “Actually, that is the wrong bin. The counselor’s stickers are over there.” He pointed across the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will hesitated. Was Nico messing with him? “But I’m not a counselor.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not a child, either, are you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will felt his eyes narrowing. It really did feel like a trick, but Nico was acting so calm through it all that Will genuinely couldn’t tell. “Alright, then I’ll just put this bin back and go use the counselor’s stickers instead, unless--” Nico cracked a grin. “Yeah, you’re definitely messing with me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico smiled full-out. “Of </span>
  <em>
    <span>course </span>
  </em>
  <span>I’m messing with you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will turned his attention back to the stickers, only because he feared that if he stared at Nico’s smiling face any longer, he might do something stupid. Well, more stupid. “Oh, ha ha, pick on the new guy,” Will said sarcastically. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know what? I think I will,” Nico replied. He grabbed a chair from a nearby table and dragged it closer. He sat on the back of it, his feet planted on the seat, and he leaned back so his elbows rested on the shelf next to the sticker bin. “The camp schedule really isn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> hard to read, you know. And the map is a </span>
  <em>
    <span>map.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Have you ever even read a map, Solace?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will huffed. “Yes, obviously I’ve read a map before, but campus maps are a little bit different than maps of the woods. There’s no roads here!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course there aren’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>roads,</span>
  </em>
  <span> but there are </span>
  <em>
    <span>paths.</span>
  </em>
  <span> What, poor city boy can’t recognize a road that isn’t paved?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, I’ll have you know I grew up in Texas--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where? Downtown Austin?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will flushed. “No! The suburbs…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico snorted. “Okay, City Boy, if you ever want somebody to teach you how to read a map, you know where to find me.” His head cocked to the side. “Or, huh, I guess you won’t?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will’s mouth opened and closed a few times as he struggled to find any sort of response, and failed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico laughed, his head falling forward before bouncing back up to meet Will’s gaze. “Tell you what: bring your map and schedule with you to dinner tonight, and I’ll show you the trick.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will smiled. “Okay, yeah.” He shifted the sticker bin toward Nico. “So, do you want to help me pick out some stickers for my walkie?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>In the morning, Will went straight to the staff room for coffee. It wasn’t that he was overly tired or anything, but the line for breakfast somehow seemed longer than usual, so he figured he would let it die down. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he stepped into the staff room, Will was met with the sight of Percy and Annabeth sharing a kiss in front of the coffee maker, and he froze. “Uh, sorry! I’ll come back later,” he said automatically, causing the two to step away from each other.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh! Will, sorry,” Annabeth exclaimed. She stepped to the side, grabbing the front of Percy’s shirt to pull him along. “We’ll just get out of your way.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Um. Thanks.” Will walked up to the coffee maker, grabbing everything he needed at lightning speed in the hopes that he could get out of that awkward situation as fast as possible. But of course, being the stickler for rules that he unfortunately was, he blurted out, “I thought there was a rule against dating?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, there is,” Percy answered, “but it’s not like Chiron can force us to break up every summer. We’ve just gotten good at hiding it during the week.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re telling me. I had no idea the two of you were together, and I was here between sessions,” Will reminded them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re not huge on PDA,” Annabeth explained. “Honestly, it probably wouldn’t even matter if we were. It’s not like Chiron’s left his office much this summer.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, you’re right!” Percy leaned down, speaking in a voice that was softer and more conspiratory as he said, “I wonder what other rules we could break.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Annabeth pushed him back. “We do just about everything short of burning the place down between sessions. I don’t think you and I need to worry about breaking </span>
  <em>
    <span>more</span>
  </em>
  <span> rules.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will finished stirring his coffee and snapped a lid onto the disposable cup. “Alright, well, sorry for interrupting. I’m sure I’ll see y’all later--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hang on a second, Will,” Annabeth said, breaking away from Percy to meet Will by the door. “If you’re worried about breaking any rules, you should know that the ‘no dating’ thing only applies to counselors.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As in, counselors can’t date each other,” Percy added. “The handbook says nothing about counselors dating, say, the camp nurse.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will felt his ears burning. “Uh, thanks. I’ll...keep that in mind?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know, just in case you were worried about any of the other counselors being sticklers for the rules,” Annabeth offered. “Maybe you don’t have anyone in mind, but I know Nico’s happy to break a rule every now and then, anyway.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Does </span>
  <em>
    <span>everybody </span>
  </em>
  <span>know?” Will shrieked. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Apparently he almost fell asleep in a canoe.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will was in line for lunch, stuck being a couple of juniors who apparently cared more about gossiping than they did moving the line forward. Will didn’t want to be rude, but he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>starving.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He was about to speak up when the girl continued.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I guess one of his kids keeps having nightmares, so he hasn’t been sleeping.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>That</span>
  </em>
  <span> piqued Will’s interest. So this was one of the counselors they were talking about? He’d really only seen Annabeth, Percy, and Piper that morning, which didn’t narrow things down much since that junior had clearly said </span>
  <em>
    <span>he.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Would it be weird for him to go around and check on each of the counselors, or would that be overstepping?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The line moved forward, and Will grabbed a pre-made sandwich off the tray. When he looked up, the two juniors were gone. Guess he wasn’t going to be getting any more information out of them. He finished filling up his plate, and went out into the seating area. Frank’s was the first face he saw, so he made his way toward table five. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Will,” Frank greeted with his usual smile. “Wanna pull up a chair?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will did so, settling in beside Frank at the table. “How’s it going?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Pretty good! Riley and Peyton got the fastest time on the team building course so far for this session.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s great!” Will exclaimed as the table cheered, and two boys high-fived. “Good job, guys!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How’ve you been?” Frank asked once the cheering settled down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will shrugged. “Trying to keep busy, but you guys are pretty good at making sure nobody gets hurt, so it’s getting kinda tough.” An idea popped into his head. “Actually, do you know who was at canoeing this morning?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Frank frowned as he thought. “Nico and Leo, I think. Why?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I overheard something about an incident at canoeing this morning, but nobody told me anything, so I wanted to check in and make sure everybody’s okay,” Will explained. It wasn’t the total truth, but it was certainly enough to make him feel like he wasn’t lying about anything. “You didn’t hear anything about that, did you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Frank shook his head. “No, but we really only get a chance to talk to each other during activities. I’m sure if it was serious, they would have let you know by now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, no, of course they would,” Will said quickly. “I’m just… You know, as I said. Trying to keep busy.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two chatted for another ten minutes or so until lunchtime had officially ended and cabin five had to get to their next activity. Will got up and cleared his plate, dropping it at the dish return before scanning the crowd for either Nico or Leo. About half of the cabins had already cleared out, so Will figured it was pretty good luck that Leo was still trying to wrangle his cabin out the door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will jogged to catch up with him. “Hey, Leo, can I ask you something?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s up?” Leo asked, spinning around to walk backwards so that he could continue leading his cabin towards the arts and crafts tent. His hands were stuffed into the pockets of his cargo shorts, and Will was just waiting for him to trip and fall.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I heard that something happened at the lake this morning while you were at canoeing, so I wanted to make sure everyone was okay.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Leo nodded once in understanding. “Gotcha. Yeah, we’re all good here, but, uh. It’s actually just Nico you gotta worry about. I mean, if you’re worrying. I guess he hasn’t been sleeping well, or something. He’s a little out of it. Honestly, if there’s an extra junior hanging around somewhere, you should probably send them off to wherever Nico is to help supervise. He’s not gonna be able to do a very good job of watching his cabin if he’s falling asleep standing up.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks, man,” Will told him. “I’ll try to go check up on him, if I can. You wouldn’t happen to know which activity he’s at, would you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Leo shrugged. “Gonna have to check the schedule, sorry. Good luck, dude!” With that, Leo spun back around and ushered his cabin into the arts and crafts tent.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will gave himself a second to collect his thoughts before he decided to hurry off in any particular direction. Was he really about to run off somewhere because Nico hadn’t slept well? That wasn’t exactly a medical emergency, and there wasn’t much that Will could do to help - aside from being an extra set of eyes to watch over Nico’s cabin with him, to ensure that nobody got hurt. Technically, that could be considered part of his job, right? Will could argue that he wasn’t going just to check on Nico, but to keep the kids safe. Was that a plausible excuse?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He went to the infirmary first. He needed to check the schedule and probably the map to figure out where Nico was supposed to be, and he should bring a first aid kit, just in case. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His map and schedule were sitting on the table where he’d left them after having dinner with Nico a few nights before. He laid both out, and checked the schedule first. It really was one of the most complicated things he’d ever seen, and it had no right being so impossible to read. Will double checked that he was on the right session, triple checked the time table, and quadruple checked the color coding. Seriously, what kind of schedule </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> this?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After maybe five minutes, Will determined that Nico was most likely in the woods with Reyna and her cabin at the wilderness survival activity. And if Will was wrong, then he was about to hike about a mile into the woods for nothing, if he’d read the map right. Was he about to get hopelessly lost in the forests of upstate New York?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He brought the map with him along with a freshly stocked first aid kit, then he went to the mess hall. He didn’t know how Nico took his coffee, so Will took a guess when he added in a bit of cream and sugar. Best case, he found Nico and the coffee wasn’t disgusting. Worst case, Will got lost in the woods, but he had decent coffee to keep him awake while he tried to find his way back to camp.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He snapped a lid on the coffee cup, and then he was off. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he walked (past the cabins, he knew that that part was right) he continuously turned the map in his hands, and tried to think of it like Google Maps while he was driving. The little blue arrow would always point straight ahead, and the rest of the map would rotate around it. It worked with Maps, so why was it only making him more confused now? What really didn’t help was that the last defining landmark had been the cabins, so he was just expected to follow a barely-there path for another half-mile until he stumbled across the clearing where some shack of some kind was supposed to be.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh, he was about to be murdered, wasn’t he?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then he heard laughing from somewhere ahead of him. He’d never understood why a child’s laugh was always supposed to be creepy in horror movies, but he did now. Still, he pushed ahead. Either he would get lucky and stumble across the activity group, or he would find the ghosts of children who were going to haunt him for the rest of his days. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Obviously he knew he was being overdramatic, so when the woods opened up to a clearing full of children, he laughed at his own mini panic. (And if he’d found an axe murderer, he would’ve shouted, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I knew it!)</span>
  </em>
  <span> He saw Reyna standing tall over all of the children, dividing them into groups and directing them on their first task. Will’s eyes scanned the clearing, then, until he found Nico sitting at the base of a tree. His feet led him in that direction automatically.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Will got closer, he could see the dark smudges under Nico’s eyes, and the way he blinked slowly like he was barely fighting off sleep. He must not have slept at all the night before, if that was the state he was in. Will approached him slowly, as if Nico was a frightened animal that he didn’t want to scare off, and held the coffee cup out toward him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico blinked up at him, like he was too tired even to feel surprised. The corner of his lip twitched up after a second, the beginnings of a smile as he said, “Thanks,” and reached for the cup. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I, uh, heard you didn’t sleep well,” Will explained, shifting awkwardly on his feet until Nico tipped his head toward the space beside him, and Will sat down. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico hummed. “Clovis keeps having nightmares. I’ve barely slept all week, but last night was the </span>
  <em>
    <span>worst.” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will leaned closer until his shoulder brushed against Nico’s. “Wanna talk about it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico’s head tipped back against the tree behind them, and he raised the coffee cup to his lips. “Just wanna nap.” He took a long drink, and hummed appreciatively. “This is good. You came all the way out here just to bring me coffee?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will looked back out at the groups of kids that were now scattered throughout the clearing in clumps. “Well, and someone has to supervise the kids, since you’re apparently about to fall asleep at any second.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Out of the corner of his eye, Will saw Nico lower the cup to his lap, and turned to see that Nico’s eyes had followed suit. “Oh,” Nico said, so soft that it was almost inaudible. If Will hadn’t seen his lips move, he would’ve thought he was just hearing things. The sight before him had his stomach doing flips. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just mean that I think it would be best if I hung around for a little while,” Will corrected, scrambling to find the right words that would put a smile back on Nico’s face. “Until the caffeine kicks in, at least, or until I get called back to the infirmary.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico’s head lifted slightly, and Will felt his stomach settle. He could breathe deep again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not that I think I could even find my way back to camp on my own,” Will continued, and he wasn’t sure now that he’d be able to stop. “I barely made it here on my own, and I thought I was gonna be lost in the woods for the rest of my life, but--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You got here all on your own?” Nico had turned to look at him, tired eyes shining and that tiny smile back in place.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will caught his breath. “Not entirely. See, a few days ago, this one camp counselor called me dumb, and--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t call you </span>
  <em>
    <span>dumb,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Nico cut in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, </span>
  <em>
    <span>stupid,</span>
  </em>
  <span> then. Anyway--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t call you stupid, either!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, you definitely called me one of those things.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” Nico said sheepishly. “I didn’t mean to insult you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t take it as an insult.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico frowned. “Then what did you take it as?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Flirting,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Will almost blurted, but he bit his tongue. “Um. Let’s call it banter.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Will was just leaving the infirmary when Grover came over the walkie and said, “Could everybody do a headcount with your sign-up sheets and make sure you don’t have any extra campers?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At first, Will thought </span>
  <em>
    <span>extra campers</span>
  </em>
  <span> was a funny thing to ask for, until he realized extra campers in one spot meant missing campers at another, and his heart skipped a beat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>About a minute later, Rachel said, “I have everyone. Grover, if you want to give me a name, I’ll head over to the flagpole.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks, Rachel. It’s Billie Ng.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>From where he was standing, Will watched as Rachel came walking out of the arts and crafts tent and went towards the flagpole at the center of the camp’s main area. Mounted at the base of the pole was an electrical box that connected to two loudspeakers at the top end of the pole. Rachel opened the box and took out what looked to be another walkie on a cord. When she spoke again, her voice was projected all across camp. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Billie Ng, we’re waiting for you so we can start our nature walk!” she announced in an overly sweet voice. Rachel placed the device back in the electrical box, and turned her attention to the watch on her wrist.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will made his way over to her. “Hey, Rachel, should I start looking around, or…?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rachel glanced up from her watch. “Not yet. She has a few more minutes to make it to the right activity, and if she doesn’t, then I’ll call a fire drill. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Then</span>
  </em>
  <span> we start looking.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will shifted nervously on his feet. “Um. How often does this happen?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This first part of the process happens all the time,” Rachel told him. “Kids forget which activity they’re supposed to be at, or they want to go to one but all of their friends go to another, so they try to ditch the one they signed up for. Fire drills are less common, but they’ll still usually happen once or twice a summer. Maybe a kid got lost on their way to their activity, but they can find their way back here for the drill no problem. Looking for Atlantis is rare.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Looking for…” Will frowned. “What?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s the code. Like, in the handbook? It’s the main code for a missing kid. If Billie doesn’t show up at the fire drill, then I’m going to have extended craft time in the mess hall with all the kids while you and the counselors--” she raised her hands to do air quotes around the words </span>
  <em>
    <span>“--look for Atlantis.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And how long until you call for the fire drill?” Will asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rachel checked her watch. “Thirty seconds.” She grabbed her walkie from the high waist of her shorts and spoke into it. “Grover?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nothing.” He replied immediately.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rachel clipped her walkie. “I’m calling it.” She reached for the receiver inside the electrical box again, and announced, “Attention Camp Delphi! This is a fire drill. Please report to the flagpole in an orderly fashion and line up behind your cabin’s counselor.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The closest activity was the arts and crafts tent. Will turned to see Nico leading a group of children out of the tent and toward the flagpole. He stopped a short distance away from Rachel and started calling out to the campers, directing them on where to stand if their counselor had not yet arrived. Cabin one would form a line to his right, and cabin ten to his left. They were going for form a ring around the flagpole. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Annabeth and Piper came next, leading the obstacle course group in. The rest of the groups took longer, seeing as they took place out in the woods, but soon every counselor was circled up and taking a headcount of their cabins. Everyone came up except for Billie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As they were finishing up their headcount, Will saw that even Chiron had come out of his office to check on things, wheeling his motorized chair straight into the center of the circle. He called for the counselors to gather in close.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who is missing?” Chiron asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Billie Ng,” Grover told him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When and where was she last seen?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Cabin two,” Reyna answered. “We all went back right after lunch so that I could remind everyone of what they signed up for.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chiron turned to Rachel. “Gather the juniors and prepare for extended arts and crafts in the mess hall.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Annabeth and Reyna, check each cabin thoroughly,” Chiron continued. “Jason and Leo, the parking lot and out toward the road. Percy and Frank, check the lake, and make sure none of the canoes are missing as well. Nico and Will, the woods. Do your best to stay on the paths, as we don’t need to lose any counselors as well. That leaves Piper and Grover to stay in the main area. Check the bath houses, the infirmary, even the kitchens. When the camper is found, report immediately over your walkies. Understood?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The reply was a chorus of, “Yes, sir.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good. Now, remain calm, lead your cabins inside, and then depart. Good luck.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The counselors raced off back to their cabins, who were all still waiting in lines, and led them all into the mess hall while each of the juniors rushed into the arts and crafts tent, likely for supplies. Once all of the children were inside and counselors started to reemerge, Chiron announced over the loudspeaker, “We are looking for Atlantis at cabin two.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will, who was still lingering nearby as he had no cabin to lead, said, “Why announce it if you just went over everything with us?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s protocol, of course,” Chiron answered, a sparkle in his eye. “Rules are rules, after all. They aren’t made to be broken.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Will,” Nico’s voice came from behind him, causing Will to jump. “Are you coming?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, yep!” Will turned on his heel and started toward Nico who was leading the way to the woods.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good luck, boys,” Chiron called after them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will took a deep breath. Dating Nico wouldn’t be against the rules, Annabeth and Percy had told him so! Dating Nico wasn’t against the rules. He kept repeating it in his head. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Dating Nico wasn’t against the rules.</span>
  </em>
  <span> The words cycled through his head so much that they almost came tumbling out of his mouth until Nico said, “Are you alright?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine!” Will said, too quickly, and then cleared his throat. “I just, uh, hm. I kinda psyched myself out a few days ago when I came to bring you coffee. I kept thinking I was gonna get lost in the woods and die, so I’m a little...nervous, I guess. You know me.” He pointed a thumb at his own chest. “City Boy. Not super familiar with the woods.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ll be fine,” Nico told him, offering up a gentle smile. “Besides, you have me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will felt his ears starting to burn. “Um--” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico coughed. “I mean, I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> familiar with these woods, so there’s no </span>
  <em>
    <span>way</span>
  </em>
  <span> we’re gonna get lost.” He turned his head away and started rubbing at the back of his neck.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was an awkwardness filling the air between them, and they hadn’t even gotten into the woods yet. Will desperately wanted to break that tension. “Okay, I trust you. As long as you promise to get me out of these woods alive.” Will held out his hand between them, balled into a fist with his pinky sticking out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A pinky promise?” Nico asked skeptically. “Seriously?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course! C’mon, this is summer camp! This can’t be the first pinky promise you’ve made at summer camp.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico scoffed, and linked his pinky with Will’s. “Please. This isn’t even the first pinky promise I’ve made </span>
  <em>
    <span>today.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They played twenty questions to pass the time. They didn’t lose sight of their objective, of course, because it was kind of hard to forget that they were looking for a missing child, but Will’s anxiety had started ramping up so much that Nico suggested the game as a way to help him think about other things.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How’d you find this job?” Nico asked, scanning the distance for any pop of color that wasn’t green. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was actually looking for an internship,” Will answered. “I’m starting med school in the fall, and I got accepted into my dream school, but then all of a sudden they were like </span>
  <em>
    <span>oh, sorry, you didn’t complete an internship.</span>
  </em>
  <span> And I basically had to beg for my spot and promise them that I would find an internship for the summer so that I could still start in the fall.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico frowned. “But this isn’t an internship. Don’t internships have to have, like, supervision? And Chiron’s paying you, isn’t he?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, so...funny story. I don’t know how, but I somehow thought this was an internship and not a job, and so I sent my internship forms to Chiron to have him sign off on some stuff. He called me and said this wasn’t an internship, and I started freaking out, because that was at, like, the beginning of May, so I didn’t have time to find anything else. But Chiron said that he would sign off on it anyway and still pay me for the summer, and I swear, I almost </span>
  <em>
    <span>cried.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hold up.” Nico stopped in his tracks, but Will continued on for another few steps before he realized, and spun around to face him. “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>lied</span>
  </em>
  <span> to your school? You, William “Cheating is Wrong” Solace, are playing a trick on your </span>
  <em>
    <span>university?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will winced. “Maybe? And don’t call me William! You don’t even know if that’s my name!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico stepped closer to him and crossed his arms. “Yeah? Then what’s Will short for?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will thought for a second. “Wilhelm.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico snorted. “That’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> your name.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe it is!” Will argued, though it was undercut when he started to laugh. “Maybe it’s Wilbur.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico laughed right along with him, already clutching at his stomach as he wheezed, “Stop it!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, okay, fine,” Will said, taking a breath to steady himself. “Will is actually short for Squilliam. I come from a very pro-Spongebob household.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico threw his head back and howled with laughter. He actually wiped tears from his eyes as he stuttered through his laughter, “You’re the </span>
  <em>
    <span>worst!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, that’s not very nice.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“God, you’re so </span>
  <em>
    <span>dumb.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> He tried to take a few deep breaths, but every exhale was coated with giggles. “Okay, fine. If you’re not gonna admit to it, then I’m going to keep calling you William until you do.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will shrugged. “Then I guess I just won’t respond, since that’s not my name.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ass.” Nico shoved at his shoulder, and continued on down the path. “C’mon, William, we have a job to do.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will didn’t move, not even to turn around. After a few seconds, he glanced over his shoulder and asked, “Oh, did you mean me? See, here I thought we were friends, but you don’t even know my name!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Solace.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright, I guess that’ll do.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So, why english and history?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico shrugged. “They were my best subjects in high school and I didn’t really have any interest in the other majors.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You didn’t have a job in mind?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I figure I’ll just end up teaching. I like kids well enough, so why not?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will smiled. “Yeah, I think you’d be good at that.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Will watched in horror as Nico picked a leaf off a nearby plant and popped it into his mouth. “You’re going to die.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s fine,” Nico replied. “Tastes like lemon. You want some?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Absolutely not.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico shrugged. “Alright. More for me.” They continued further down the trail, and Nico plucked another seemingly random leaf and ripped it apart with his teeth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can’t just </span>
  <em>
    <span>eat leaves!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure I can.” Nico ate the rest of that leaf, and looked down to grab another. “Oh, look! Strawberries!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nico--” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s fine, William, I know what I’m doing,” Nico insisted, already crouching down to pick a few berries. “I’ve been wandering around these woods since I was eight. Grover told me what I can and can’t eat, and everybody knows that strawberries grow wild back here.” He straightened up and offered a handful of small strawberries. “Want one?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Billie finally turned up sometime after their usual dinner time, which meant that Will was starving by the time they made it back to camp. Nico, however, was perfectly fine, because he apparently </span>
  <em>
    <span>enjoyed</span>
  </em>
  <span> risking accidental poisoning. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As soon as they were all in the mess hall for their late mealtime, Nico grabbed Will by the shirtsleeve and dragged him toward table four, where Grover was already sitting down to eat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Grover, would you please tell William here that I know which plants are safe to eat from the woods?” Nico demanded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Grover sighed. “Nico, I’ve asked you </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> many times not to eat anything that you can’t immediately recognize as a strawberry.” He looked to Will, seeming more tired than concerned. “What did he eat?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will shrugged. “I dunno. Leaves?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Grover put his head in his hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re supposed to be on my side here!” Nico told him, then tugged on Will’s sleeve again. “C’mon, Reyna will back me up for sure.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She did not.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nico hadn’t seemed quite so energetic during that session’s game of capture the flag, but Will chalked it up to his leftover exhaustion from a long two weeks. After all of the kids were picked up and camp was finally quiet again, Will half expected to see Nico go crawling back to cabin thirteen for a nap, though he was surprised to see him head into the storage cabin instead. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will briefly considered heading in after him - maybe he needed help grabbing some things for the bonfire? - but he needed to drop his first aid kit in the infirmary first. When he came back out, most of the counselors were already sitting around the unlit fire pit, so Will made his way in that direction. It looked like everyone had arrived aside from Nico. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was about to comment on Nico’s absence when Percy called out, “Will! Take a seat. We were just about to debate who’s cabin is best.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will grabbed a seat and replied, “Uh, shouldn’t Nico be here for that?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Leo laughed. “No way. His cabin’s haunted, that’s an automatic disqualifier.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Haunted?” Will repeated. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not really,” Annabeth assured him. “He just likes to tell people it is.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will frowned, but before he could ask </span>
  <em>
    <span>why,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Rachel said, “No, wait, I’ve been in there before, and it’s definitely not...</span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> haunted.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, it was definitely cursed when it was still used for storage,” Piper argued, “but since Nico cleaned it out, it’s fine.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Cabin thirteen used to be storage?” Will asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s what it was built for,” Grover explained. “That’s why it’s set so far away from the other cabins.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nico still hadn’t grown out of his emo phase by the time he started as a counselor,” Reyna started.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jason cut in, “I think you mean, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>still</span>
  </em>
  <span> hasn’t.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He wanted to be edgy, so he </span>
  <em>
    <span>begged</span>
  </em>
  <span> Chiron to let him clean out cabin thirteen so that he could use it,” she continued. “I’m pretty sure all of our free time that summer was spent trying to find someplace to put everything, because that was the first year we used every cabin.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, that’s right!” Rachel exclaimed, and turned to Will to explain. “Nico wasn’t even supposed to have his own cabin that year. I think Chiron wanted him to be, like, a counselor for the juniors, or something like that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because Chiron didn’t trust him not to scare the kids!” Annabeth shouted, and then tossed her head back as she began to laugh. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“To be fair,” Frank called over the laughter as others joined in, “I was a junior that year, and I didn’t trust Nico not to scare </span>
  <em>
    <span>me.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who was the counselor for cabin eight?” Will asked. Clearly, it hadn’t been the right thing to say, because the laughter suddenly stopped, and the air around them became tense. “Um. I just figured, since you guys all seem pretty close, I assumed you would be friends with them, too, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will saw the oldest counselors exchanging nervous glances, like they were silently deciding how much they were going to tell him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re right,” Annabeth said. “We were friends with her, but… It’s kind of a long story.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Her last year was Nico’s first year as a counselor,” Percy added. “So we sort of...lost touch with her.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh.” Will paused, considering his next words. “Were her and Nico close?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Grover’s foot started tapping with nervous energy. “Uh, why do you ask?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I saw him walk into cabin eight earlier, but he hasn’t come out yet.” Again, the counselors started looking to each other and speaking in a code of frowns and eyebrow movements that Will didn’t understand. “Should we be worried?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s probably fine,” Reyna assured him. “He tends to go there when he wants to be left alone.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will nodded in understanding. Across the circle, he watched Annabeth pull out her walkie and mess with some of the buttons before speaking into it. Her voice didn’t travel through the other walkies nearby, so Will figured she must have switched to a different channel. “Nico, if you can hear me, click twice.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everyone around the circle was silent while they waited for the response. Annabeth’s walkie clicked on, just long enough to hear static coming from the other end, and shut off again, then repeated. Will recognized it as the sound of somebody pressing the “talk” button twice without speaking. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you alright?” Annabeth asked. “One for yes, two for no.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Click.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you want someone to come get you when we head in for dinner?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Click.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Copy. See you later.” Annabeth clipped her walkie back on her waist. “He says he’s fine. What were we talking about?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will wanted to protest. How could Nico be </span>
  <em>
    <span>fine</span>
  </em>
  <span> if he couldn’t even </span>
  <em>
    <span>talk?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Shouldn’t somebody at least check on him in person? But Will didn’t want to overstep. After all, these were Nico’s closest friends - they knew him better than Will probably ever would. So Will kept his mouth shut and let the conversation flow around him as he tried not to worry.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They moved inside for dinner a short while later. Reyna went off toward cabin eight to fetch Nico, and Piper and Percy ran off to the kitchen to start cooking. The rest of them sat around one of the tables in the mess hall while they waited. Leo had produced a deck of cards from somewhere, but Will volunteered to sit out in order for the others to have even teams. Did whatever game they were playing even need teams? Whatever. Will was too focused on drumming his fingers against the table while he waited for Nico.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A few minutes passed before Reyna and Nico walked inside and made their way to the table - the only open seats were across from each other, so Reyna sat beside Rachel while Nico claimed the seat beside Will. He immediately laid his arms on the table and lowered his head, like he planned on taking a nap right then and there. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will wanted to reach out and touch him. Maybe stroke a hand up and down his back soothingly, or play with his hair. Instead, he kept his hands firmly clasped in his lap, and he leaned slightly closer as he asked in a softened voice, “Are you alright?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico turned to look at him, his head still pillowed on his arms. He hummed. “Yeah. I just get a little...overwhelmed, sometimes. It’s just been a very noisy week, and I haven’t been getting enough sleep, and… I dunno, I needed to hide away for a little while.” He really did look like he could fall asleep at any second.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will nodded. “If you ever need to vent, or if you ever want some silent company…” Will shrugged. “I’d be happy to sit with you sometime.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico shot him a funny look, one that had Will fearing that he’d overstepped, but then Nico smiled. “I’m having a hard time picturing you being quiet.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will’s mouth dropped open. “Are you calling me </span>
  <em>
    <span>noisy?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico rolled his eyes overdramatically. “No, you just don’t stop </span>
  <em>
    <span>talking.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey! I don’t talk </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> much! I can be quiet!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico started to sit up, just enough that he could rest his chin on his hand while his elbow sat on the table. “Then why don’t you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will pressed his lips shut, and stared at Nico, his eyes narrowing. Nico simply stared back, raising an eyebrow after a few seconds as if waiting for Will to break.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will huffed. “Well, what if I don’t want to?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico burst out laughing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Out of the corner of his eye, Will noticed a few heads snapping back to look at the cards in their hands. Maybe Will was a little more obvious than he thought. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When Will woke up in the morning, it took him a few minutes to remember why camp was so quiet. He got dressed in the tiny bedroom he had off of the infirmary and almost forgot his walkie when he went to leave. At first, it looked like he was the first one awake, though as he walked around the mess hall to head inside, he saw a car pull into the parking lot. Reyna stepped out a moment later with a wave in Will’s direction and a large white box in her hands. She was heading his way, so Will waited to walk inside with her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good morning,” Will said once she was close enough that he didn’t have to shout.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey,” she replied. “I got donuts. It’s technically Jason’s turn to cook, but… Trust me. You’ll want a donut.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will nodded once. “I’ll take your word for it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>From across the main area, Will heard a cabin door slam shut - they all did, because apparently Leo had messed with the springs on all of them at some point - and he watched as Percy and Annabeth stepped out of cabin three in their pajamas. He knew about their relationship already, but Will still couldn’t help but feel surprised to see them so blatantly breaking a rule. What if Chiron saw them?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Could you get the door for me?” Reyna asked, and Will jumped into action. “I haven’t started the coffee maker yet, and Annabeth gets cranky when the coffee isn’t ready when she gets here.” Will held the door open for her to walk through, and Reyna shot him a look. “You can’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> be surprised to see her sleeping over, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will followed her inside. “I don’t know that </span>
  <em>
    <span>surprised</span>
  </em>
  <span> is really the right word.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then let me remind you: we all break the rules, all the time.” She glanced back at him over her shoulder. “I know you’re a bit of a stickler for the rules. Percy and I talked.” Reyna moved into the staff room and set the box on the table beside the coffee maker, and then got to work loading the machine and turning it on. “You yourself have already broken a rule by drinking on camp property.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will’s heart stopped. “But--” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She spun around and met his eyes. “We all do it. Nobody cares. Let loose a little when the kids aren’t here. Obviously, during a session, we all follow the rules as much as we can. But right now? Nobody </span>
  <em>
    <span>cares,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Will.” Reyna turned her back to Will once more, and grabbed a cup to start preparing coffee for herself. “So, sleep in a little bit. Drink on the weekends. Ask Nico out on a date instead of following him around like a lost puppy.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Percy said that </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> against the rules,” Will pointed out, and realized a second too late that he should’ve argued the </span>
  <em>
    <span>lost puppy</span>
  </em>
  <span> point instead.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Reyna paused. “Huh. I guess not. So why haven’t you done it yet, then?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will flinched. “I, uh--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just then, Annabeth and Percy stepped into the room, instantly making the space feel crowded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Annabeth, just in time,” Reyna said, stepping out of the way of the coffee maker. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Annabeth wrapped an arm around Reyna’s shoulders and pulled her in close for a side-hug. “Have I ever told you that I love you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will sneaked along the perimeter of the room, realizing that this was his best opportunity to escape, even if it was without breakfast or coffee. Just before he managed to squeeze out the door, Reyna stopped him with a single look. “We can finish this conversation later,” she said coolly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will had never left a room so fast in his life.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It really shouldn’t have taken Will as long as it did to realize that the other counselors had a schedule that determined who would cook and when, but as soon as he did, Will started to worry. He wasn’t the </span>
  <em>
    <span>worst</span>
  </em>
  <span> cook on the planet, but he’d also never had to worry about </span>
  <em>
    <span>other people</span>
  </em>
  <span> eating the food he made. If something came out burnt or a little off, then that was Will’s problem, and he would just eat a little quicker so he didn’t have to taste it as long. But he couldn’t ask that of the others.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was debating between asking someone what the schedule was, and waiting for someone to let him know, </span>
  <em>
    <span>hey, you’re cooking dinner tonight,</span>
  </em>
  <span> but he was saved for the night by Percy announcing that they were going into town that evening. They packed up everything they’d brought down to the beach, and everyone went off to their separate cabins to gather anything they needed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Leo informed him that there was a laundromat next door to the restaurant they usually went to, so if Will wanted clean clothes for the first time in a month, he should bring his laundry and a handful of quarters. Leo took off toward cabin nine, though once he was a short distance away, he turned back and called out, “And bring your phone, too! There’s service out there!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will hurried into the infirmary and stuffed all of his dirty clothes into his duffle bag. He changed his shirt into one he’d worn on his first day - so while it was wrinkled from being tossed on the floor and left for a month, it wasn’t smelly - and debated putting on a different pair of shorts, but decided against it when he figured that all of his shorts had been worn equally. He’d always hated the fact that he could never get </span>
  <em>
    <span>all</span>
  </em>
  <span> of his clothes clean on laundry day. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’d had to scramble around to find his phone, since he hadn’t touched it in a month, and traded it for his walkie before he left the infirmary. The others had already started to gather in front of the mess hall, so Will jogged to catch up with them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Percy was the last to arrive, and when he did, he called out, “Everybody pile into the party van!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>About half the group started toward the parking lot, not waiting to hear Frank’s complaint of, “Wait, we’re all taking </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> car?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Percy clapped him on the shoulder when he skipped past. “You’re the only one with a minivan, dude. C’mon!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s only eight seats,” Frank said. “There’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>eleven</span>
  </em>
  <span> of us!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s fine, Frank,” Piper called back. They were already standing beside Frank’s van, waiting to be let in. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you’re nervous, I’ll drive,” Percy offered, already reaching for Frank’s keys.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He held them back protectively. “Oh, no. I’ll be driving.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will wanted to protest on Frank’s behalf - and, okay, a little bit his own, because it was one thing to break the rules at camp, but another thing to break the </span>
  <em>
    <span>law</span>
  </em>
  <span> - but Frank seemed to have given in. Will followed everyone toward the van. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Somehow, Will found himself shoved into the back corner of the third row with his duffle bag stuffed between his feet as everybody else piled inside. Next to Will was Rachel, with Piper on Reyna’s lap beside her. The middle row held Percy and Annabeth in the same seat, and Grover and Leo, then Frank and Jason in the front. The last person to pile in was Nico, who scanned the inside of the van with disinterest, almost looking like he was going to climb out and walk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“C’mon, Neeks,” Leo said, patting his own thighs. “I’ve got a lap for you right here!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico glared at him, and his eyes flickered up to meet Will’s for just a second before he looked away. “I’ll sit on the floor.” He tossed his bag at Leo and crawled inside, pulling the door shut behind himself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They hadn’t even made it out onto the road before Percy said, “Jas, turn the air on, would you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, don’t,” Piper called out. “Open the windows. It’s already starting to stink in here.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, but it’s hot in here, and it’s hot outside,” Percy argued.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The breeze will make it colder.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But not enough! I have a person on my lap!” Percy craned his neck further to address Reyna. “C’mon, Reyna, back me up. You’ve got a person on your lap. You’re hot, right?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Reyna looked him up and down as best she could, and smirked. “Hotter than you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Percy gasped. “Was that a dig at me? Or my girlfriend?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Reyna rolled her eyes. “Obviously you--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ladies, please,” Nico’s monotone voice came from the floor. “You’re both pretty.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Reyna shared a look with Piper. “I think I feel insulted by that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Leo leaned forward, squishing Grover between him and Percy, and asked, “Hey Frank, do you have a charger?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m using it,” Jason told him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But I need it!” Leo insisted, leaning further in an attempt to grab the charger. “My phone’s so dead it won’t even turn on!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dude, personal space,” Grover whined.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico put his hand over Leo’s face and shoved him back into his seat. “Seriously.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rachel bumped Will with her shoulder and smiled. “Don’t worry. It’s only a thirty minute drive.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh, but it was going to feel </span>
  <em>
    <span>so much longer.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nico had barely waited for the car to stop moving before he launched himself out the door. The others followed at a much slower pace (and had all waited until Frank had put the car in park), and walked to the laundromat together. They were the only ones there, aside from the attendant, and it looked like just about every machine was open. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They all spread out throughout the large, open room, some going straight to a washing machine while others went to get quarters. Will had to get detergent from Jason because he hadn’t thought to pack any, and after he’d started his machine, he wasn’t sure what to do. He was starting to get hungry, but he noticed that some of the others were still loading their machines, and he didn’t know if the plan was to wait until everyone’s laundry was done, or head out to eat and come back later. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His question was answered when Grover called out, “Hey, Will, are you ready? We’re heading next door.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The restaurant was small, and tightly packed with tables and chairs. The girl behind the counter seemed to recognize the counselors instantly, and even came over to give Percy a hug before she led them to a table. Will and Percy took care of pushing tables together and bringing over chairs, and the rest of the group came trickling in after them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Calypso, my love!” Leo exclaimed when he saw her, and took her hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello, Leo,” the waitress replied, sounding annoyed, though Will could see a touch of fondness in her eyes. “I’m gonna bring you all some menus. Ten of you, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eleven,” Percy replied, and grabbed Will’s hand off the table, holding it up. “This is Will, the new medic.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Um. Hello,” he said, waving awkwardly with the hand that Percy held in the air. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Calypso smiled. “Nice to meet you! I’ll be right back with those menus.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Leo set his head in his hands and sighed dreamily as his eyes followed Calypso across the dining room. “Man, one of these days… I swear, guys, I’m gonna ask her out.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s too old for you,” Piper told him, elbowing him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Leo shoved her back. “Age is just a number.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A few people at the table started to boo him. “That’s gross, dude,” Percy said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey! We’re both adults who can consent,” Leo argued, “and if she said yes, I would woo her like my life depended on it!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s, like, two years older than us,” Annabeth said, gesturing to herself and Percy. “And we’re too old for you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Leo scoffed. “Whatever! A man can dream!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A minute or so later, Calypso returned with a large stack of menus that were passed around the table. After she took their orders to the kitchen, she returned and pulled a chair up, asking for updates on the camp and everyone’s schooling. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will took that as his opportunity to excuse himself. He went back outside and took out his phone, powering it up and letting the flood of messages come through - mostly emails, since his mom and his friends knew that he’d be mostly unreachable for the summer. He cleared the notifications and opened up his contacts, finding Cecil’s name first and hitting call. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dude, you’re alive!” Cecil exclaimed when he answered. “No offense, but I totally thought you would’ve been eaten by bears by now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s no bears in New York,” Will told him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cecil hummed. “I dunno, man, that bar you took me to on accident when I came to visit begs to differ.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will felt himself flush. “I didn’t know it was a gay bar!” He sighed, and rubbed a hand over his face. “Look, is Lou there?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know why you always call me when you only ever want to talk to Lou,” Cecil muttered, then called out, “Hey, Lou! Will’s on the phone!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not that I don’t want to talk to you, it’s that I don’t want to repeat myself,” Will explained. “Or have you try to pass along the information and get everything mixed up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t do that. I have a great memory!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Will!” Lou Ellen’s voice sounded distantly through the phone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hang on,” Cecil said, and a moment later continued, “Okay, you’re on speaker now. Lou’s here.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi, Will! How’s camp?” Lou asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s fine, but--” </span>
</p>
<p><span>“Any pretty girls?</span><span><br/></span> <span>“No-- Uh, I mean, yeah, but--”</span></p>
<p>
  <span>“Dude, tell us!” Cecil insisted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will sighed. “Okay, I mean, there was kind of a funny moment where a bunch of little girls thought me and Piper were dating, but--” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So her name’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>Piper,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Lou teased. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. “Lou Ellen, </span>
  <em>
    <span>please--”</span>
  </em>
  <span> He cut himself off, expecting to be interrupted again, but both of his friends quieted down. “There’s, um. His name is Nico, and--” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cecil and Lou Ellen both started talking so loud and so fast that Will had to pull the phone away from his ear.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Guys, please, I can’t hear either of you,” Will told them. “Can you let me explain and promise you won’t interrupt?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cecil hissed. “That’s a lot to ask of us, dude.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Try, then? Please.” When neither of them spoke, Will continued. “There’s this rule that says that counselors can’t date each other--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But you’re not a counselor,” Lou cut in, and then shrieked, “Sorry!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, exactly, I’m not a counselor. But what if it’s, like, </span>
  <em>
    <span>implied</span>
  </em>
  <span> that I count as a counselor? I don’t like loopholes, guys, and this feels like a pretty big one. Okay, you can talk now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is he interested?” Lou asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think so.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So why hasn’t he made a move?” Cecil questioned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I’ve kinda...made it pretty well known that I’m big on following the rules. So maybe he doesn’t want to make me uncomfortable?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lou hummed. “Yeah, it sounds like he’s waiting on you to make the first move.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“See, and that’s the thing,” Will said, but he didn’t really have a </span>
  <em>
    <span>thing.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He just started talking without thinking about what he was going to say. “Like, nobody here follows the rules. Two of the counselors have been dating for, like, </span>
  <em>
    <span>years,</span>
  </em>
  <span> and nobody bats an eye. Everybody got </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasted</span>
  </em>
  <span> two weeks ago, which is </span>
  <em>
    <span>way</span>
  </em>
  <span> against the rules. And now I guess I’ve been </span>
  <em>
    <span>crazy obvious</span>
  </em>
  <span> about this...crush, or whatever, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>everybody</span>
  </em>
  <span> knows about it, and they’re all pushing me to act on it! And I don’t know what to do! What if Nico thinks I’m boring, or something, just because I follow the rules?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Deep breaths, Will,” Lou said soothingly. “You don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with. But at the same time, you don’t need to keep worrying about flying under the radar anymore. You’re out and proud, and you finally don’t have anything to hide.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just let loose a little,” Cecil told him. “Maybe if Nico sees that the rules aren’t stopping you from having fun, then he’ll realize it’s safe to ask you out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will took a deep breath. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, now that we’ve been nice to you for more than a minute,” Cecil said, “have you started writing your names in hearts in your notebook?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Cec--” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, he’s right,” Lou cut in, “you haven’t told us anything about this guy!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will made a split second decision. “Uh, sorry guys, my phone’s about to die. I’ll call you the next time we come into town, bye!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Will--”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He ended the call. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>By the time he made it back inside, Calypso had disappeared from the table, and everyone had a plate in front of them, already digging in. Will reclaimed his seat, keeping his eyes down in the hopes of avoiding any sort of confrontation about why he’d been gone. He scooted his chair in and reached for a fork, but was stopped when he felt something nudge his leg. He looked up and found Nico watching him from across the table. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Everything okay?” Nico asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will nodded and offered him a smile. “Yeah. That was just my, uh, mom checking in on me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico didn’t press for more. He smiled back, and dropped his gaze down to his plate. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Under different circumstances, maybe with less space between them and fewer people around, Will thought that this moment could almost feel like a date.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was time for Will to start breaking the rules. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thanks for reading!!<br/>ok this time i PROMISE i don't know when the next chapter will be out,, could be next week could be next month i Do Not know<br/>check out solangeloweek on tumblr for more auctober stuff!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hello and its not auctober anymore!!! updates are gonna come a little slower for the second half of his fic because. whoops! forgot to plan anything that happens in the second half. oh well! just enjoy this for now!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Nico insisted on running junior check in for the third session. He could tell by the looks on his friends' faces that they thought it was just because Will had been assigned to camper check in, but Nico actually had a different reason. Sure, it was nice to look over every so often to see Will sharing that big, beautiful smile with every family that came up to the table, but Nico was actually waiting for someone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she had finally arrived. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico jumped up from the table with a smile on his face and ran forward for a hug, burying his face in a puff of wild curls. “I’ve missed you </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> much,” he whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve missed you, too,” Hazel replied, pulling back just enough that she could look her brother in the eye. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico frowned. “Did you get </span>
  <em>
    <span>taller?</span>
  </em>
  <span> I swear, Haze, if you’re taller than me the next time I see you--” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Hazel!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, Nico was ripped away from his sister and replaced by a scrawny Latino. “Leo, I missed you, too!” Hazel told him. When they broke the hug, Nico noticed that Leo was now the shorter of the pair - served him right for interrupting Nico’s reunion with her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“C’mon, let’s get you checked in,” Leo said, taking Hazel by the hand and pulling her toward the table. Nico followed with a roll of his eyes, and spotted Will glancing over from the other check in table. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico grinned, and Will started to smile back. “Hey, Solace, this is my sister, Hazel.” At the sound of her name, Hazel looked up at her brother, then followed his gaze to the other table. “Hazel, this is the new camp nurse, William.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will looked like he was torn between trying to look upset and attempting to hold back his laughter. He waved at Hazel and said, “It’s just Will. Hello!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico waved a hand dismissively in Will’s direction. “Yeah, yeah, William. Get back to work, you’ve got a line forming!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will turned back to his own work while Leo handed Hazel’s check in - trading paperwork for a purple junior’s t-shirt. Of course, Hazel already had at least one or two, but a free t-shirt was a free t-shirt. Nico wished </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> got new shirts every year. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Normally, after checking in, the juniors went into the mess hall for their own quick orientation with Chiron, but Hazel was in her final year as a junior and already knew everything there was to know, so she stayed at the table with Nico and Leo, bumping Nico to the edge of his seat so that Hazel could squeeze onto the chair beside him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were only waiting on one more junior, and then they could start packing up, so passed the time by chatting. Leo was giving Hazel tips on how to survive her first year in college dorms, and Nico tried to keep one ear on that conversation as he checked in the last junior, just to make sure he could correct any bad information Leo gave her. He sent the last junior into the mess hall then fussed with the file folders as he tried to find the right place for the paperwork in his hand, when he heard a stage whisper off to his left.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Will leaning halfway out of his seat toward the junior check in table as he said, “Hey, Hazel! What’s ‘Nico’ short for?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico only had a second to understand just what Will meant before Hazel started to speak, and he jumped into action. Nico spun around and slapped a hand over Hazel’s mouth, shooting a glare in Will’s direction. “Don’t you </span>
  <em>
    <span>dare!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to reach Leo before he opened his mouth. “Sorry, Will, the only thing Nico’s short for is his height.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Okay, good, Leo didn’t say-- </span>
  <em>
    <span>wait a second.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Hey!” Nico exclaimed, removing his hand from over Hazel’s mouth to point an angry finger in Leo’s face. “First of all, I’m taller than you, Valdez!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As if!” Leo argued, and looked to Hazel. “Hazel, please set the record straight for </span>
  <em>
    <span>hermanito</span>
  </em>
  <span> over here.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hazel reached over and ruffled Leo’s hair, flattening it down at first but making it stand even taller than before after she took her hand away. “Sorry, Leo, you know hair height doesn’t count.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo sunk down in his seat and crossed his arms with a huff, so Nico reached over and flicked him in the side of the head. “Come on, Valdez, it’s time to start packing up. Hazel, you should probably go inside so Chiron knows you’re here.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, fine,” she replied, rising from her seat. She pressed a kiss to Nico’s cheek before saying, “See you later, </span>
  <em>
    <span>hermanito.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Hazel high-fived Leo on her way toward the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m older than you!” Nico called after her. “And still taller!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For now!” She waved with a wiggle of her fingers and ducked into the mess hall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo snickered, so Nico punched him in the shoulder for good measure.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico was sat at table thirteen with his newest round of campers, waiting to be released after orientation, when he watched Hazel leave with cabin six, linked arm-in-arm with Annabeth. He tried not to feel bummed out that his sister hadn’t chosen to spend more time with him - they’d seen each other when Nico went home for her high school graduation, and she was friends with the other counselors as well. It only made sense for her to try to spread her time evenly between each cabin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His mind was pulled back to the campers before him when one of the boys he recognized from the last few years asked, “Can we skip the ice breaker games this year and just tell ghost stories instead?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, that’s not really fair to the new campers, is it?” Nico asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you tell the </span>
  <em>
    <span>best</span>
  </em>
  <span> ghost stories!” the boy pleaded. “And ghost stories are better in a haunted cabin than at a campfire. It’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>way</span>
  </em>
  <span> scarier!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico shook his head. “No ghost stories, at least not this week. I don’t need all of you waking me up in the middle of the night because I scared you too much. I need a lot of beauty sleep, you know.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of the other boys frowned and said, “You must not sleep much then.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few seconds passed where Nico let the initial shock from hearing those words run its course, and then he burst out laughing. He tossed his head back with so much force that his chair rocked under him, and he had tears forming in his eyes when he finally righted himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“God, you’re quick,” he muttered, mostly to himself. “That was a good one.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked up to blink the tears back into his eyes, and saw Will standing a few feet away from the table. He looked like he had frozen almost mid-step, his eyes wide and lips slightly parted in surprise, and a light dusting of pink half-hidden under his freckles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without thinking, Nico waved Will over with a call of, “Hey, Solace, you wanna join us for ice breakers?” </span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hazel had been assigned to the arts and crafts tent, which made sense considering her artistic abilities. She was a master at darting around the room and helping each and every camper with whatever craft or art project they were working on, though when Nico’s cabin came in for their scheduled craft time, the boys from cabin thirteen had insisted that they were fine on their own. Not even Nico was allowed to check on them, apparently, so the two siblings lingered near the supply shelves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hazel had brought out the sticker bin, and was digging through it in search of anything she might like to use to decorate her walkie when she became a counselor the next summer. Nico had to admit, as anxious as he was about graduating college next spring and suddenly being thrown into the real world, he was excited to have next summer at camp with his sister.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I should really have some kind of a theme, right?” Hazel asked, about fifteen stickers spread out in front of her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s hard to have a cohesive theme with only two stickers,” Nico pointed out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But with </span>
  <em>
    <span>three</span>
  </em>
  <span> stickers, it’ll be fine.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico took a closer look at the stickers she’d selected, then held his walkie out for scale. “You’ll be lucky to find the space for </span>
  <em>
    <span>one</span>
  </em>
  <span> of those.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think you forget that I’m an </span>
  <em>
    <span>artist,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Hazel shot back. “I can find a good way to overlap some of these, and cut other ones down. Like, look at these two.” She arranged two of the stickers so that they were overlapping. “A shooting star and a unicorn are great on their own, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>combined?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Look at that, Nico! It’s perfect!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico looked at his own walkie, at the two simple black and white stickers he’d put on it. “Wouldn’t a pegasus make more sense?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Obviously, but we only have unicorn stickers.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A voice called from across the tent, “Hey, Nico.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked up to find Piper and her cabin lingering at the front of the tent. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have you been keeping an eye on the time? You should be halfway to the lake by now,” Piper reminded him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico checked his watch and hissed, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Merde.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>He scanned the tent, noticing that Jason had already left with cabin one - and he hadn’t even said </span>
  <em>
    <span>goodbye</span>
  </em>
  <span> - and then he found his campers all crowded around a small table. “Hey, guys, we gotta run. We’re gonna be late for canoeing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But I’m not done yet!” one of the boys cried over the sounds of the other complaints that rose from the table. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then let Hazel help you finish up so we can head out,” Nico told them, then he turned to Piper, who had let her campers have free reign of the tent. “Who else is scheduled to be here now?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a second of thought, Piper replied, “Frank, I think.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico nodded, and said to his campers, “When cabin five shows up, whether you’re done or not, we’re heading out.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hazel made her way over to the table where the boys happily accepted her help, and Nico pulled out his walkie to let Grover know that he was running late. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>One by one, the boys finished with their crafts and got up to form a line at the tent’s entrance, the last of them standing up just as Frank and his cabin arrived. Nico led his cabin outside, making room for cabin five to enter. Before he could start on the path down to the lake, one of the boys stopped him, holding a bracelet out in his hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s this?” Nico asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a friendship bracelet!” the boy told him, taking Nico’s hand and setting the bracelet in his palm. It was a beaded bracelet on a stretchy plastic band, and it had seemingly random beads aside from the handful in the middle which were classic white blocks with black letters spelling out a name. Before Nico had a chance to read the name, approximately nine more bracelets were set in his hand. “This means we’re friends now!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“These are all for me?” Nico asked. He’d gotten gifts from his campers before - and he kept all of them in a box under his bed at his dad’s - and he’d traded his fair share of friendship bracelets in all his years of camp - most of which had broken when the stretchy plastic turned brittle - but he’d never had every one of his campers give him a gift in one session. “Thanks, guys. And you’re right, we’re all friends now. Let’s get going, okay?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A handful of the boys cheered as they all started down the path to the lake. Nico followed behind the group, carefully slipping each bracelet onto his wrists, five on each arm. He’d have to put them all somewhere safe when they returned to cabin thirteen later, so that none of them got broken or lost.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Realization hit about halfway to the lake. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh, god, he had to make </span>
  <em>
    <span>ten friendship bracelets.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico didn’t see much of Will that week until the bonfire. Either he’d had a busy week in the infirmary, or he’d taken the time to hang out with some of the other counselors. Nico didn’t let himself feel bothered by it; just like Hazel, Will could hang out with whoever he wanted to. However, he did let himself feel a bit disappointed when he sat down at the bonfire and neither Will nor Hazel sat anywhere nearby. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sure, he should’ve guessed that Hazel would want to sit by Frank - they’d had a sort of will-they won’t-they relationship ever since Hazel’s first year as a junior and Frank’s second. Hazel was going to be starting at Frank’s university in the fall, so Nico knew it was only a matter of time before the two of them started dating.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>(Had he given Frank the shovel talk yet? He didn’t think so, but at this point, did he really need to? It probably would’ve been better to try when Frank was still in high school, before he grew up overnight and suddenly looked like he could snap Nico like a twig.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will, on the other hand… Of course he would be friends with everyone by now, because anyone who didn’t want to be friends with Will must be blind, deaf, and an idiot. He had this smile that lit the place up better than any bonfire ever could, and it made Nico’s heart stutter in his chest whenever Will pointed it at him. His laugh was like music if someone had discovered a way to make music that gave its listener a sugar rush. He was easily the nicest person Nico had ever met, to the point that if Nico ever asked Will out and got rejected, Will would somehow spin it so Nico actually felt better about himself afterwards - not that Nico was going to risk a rejection. He was handsome and tall with eyes that Nico could get lost in, and his </span>
  <em>
    <span>arms...</span>
  </em>
  <span>well, suffice it to say, the only box that Will hadn’t yet checked from the list of qualities that made up Nico’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>type</span>
  </em>
  <span> was a test of strength. And Nico </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> wanted to test his strength.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Where was he going with this?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh, yeah. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will had chosen to sit between Rachel and Piper, looking happy as a clam while Nico was off on his own, surrounded by children who all needed help making s’mores. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico was brought out of his emotional funk when his sister called out, “Why don’t we sing some campfire songs?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few of the counselors exchanged glances. They hadn’t bothered with campfire songs yet that summer because, as Annabeth explained, “Well, Lee isn’t here with his guitar this year.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why can’t we just sing them?” a little girl sitting beside Reyna asked. “Who needs a guitar?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Somebody better suggest a song, then,” Grover called out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Children from all around the first started calling out song titles, some singing a few words when they couldn’t remember the name. It was mostly chaos, and there was so much noise that Nico couldn’t have picked out a single song if he tried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a moment, Percy cried out, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“You can’t ride in my little red wagon, the wheels are broken and the axle’s saggin’!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The circle went silent around him, and Nico had to cover his mouth with his hand to stifle a laugh. Across the circle from Percy, Leo whispered, “Chug, chug, chug…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico couldn’t hold back any longer. He let out a laugh before he shouted, “Second verse, same as the first!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few feet away, Jason joined in: “A little bit louder, and a whole lot worse!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The counselors carried the song for a few more verses before the kids caught on and started screaming the words along with them. Nico was going to have to have a word with Percy about his choice of song, but he figured it wasn’t all bad when he looked up and found Will watching him with a soft smile on his face. He wasn’t singing or moving in anyway, sitting perfectly still as the world moved around him, looking absolutely content to sit and watch Nico over the flames of the fire. He didn’t seem startled when Nico looked back, didn’t shy away in embarrassment from being caught staring. Instead, his smile grew, and to Nico, he seemed to </span>
  <em>
    <span>glow</span>
  </em>
  <span> in the soft light of the fire. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico smiled back.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>For the first time that summer, Nico found himself on the beach with the entire camp. The water was finally warm enough to swim in, so campers were spread across the beach and throughout the lake, both in the water and riding in canoes. For the most part, the counselors tried to keep themselves spread out as well. Percy stayed near the shore, keeping an eye on the campers in the water as the camp’s resident lifeguard. (They were all CPR certified, of course, but Nico was happy to let Percy be the one that jumped in the water in the event of an emergency.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grover was helping campers in and out of their canoes and made sure that each of them had a life jacket on before they set sail. Leo and Piper were trying to teach a handful of kids how to play beach volleyball, but for the time being, they were practicing hitting the ball back and forth. He spotted Annabeth, Jason, and Will in the water, though Nico had to look away when Will went underwater and came back up </span>
  <em>
    <span>glistening.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Seriously, the three of them could’ve remade an all-blond version of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Baywatch.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico was sitting a ways up the beach with Hazel and Frank, seemingly constantly brushing sand off the towel he was sitting on. He had no intention of going in the water - he hadn’t even bothered to change into swim trunks, though he had opted for shorts for the first time all summer - so the towel was really just a barrier to keep him away from the sand as much as possible. God, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>hated</span>
  </em>
  <span> sand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Frank and Hazel, heathens that they were, sat unprotected in the sand, bare feet buried in the sand. Nico cringed just from the thought of feeling a thousand grains of sand between his toes. Nico was thankfully pulled out of one of his worst nightmares by his sister’s voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How’s your first summer going?” Hazel asked, bumping her shoulder into Frank’s. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s good,” Frank said, and aimed a smile in her direction. “Way more fun than being a junior. I can’t wait for you to be here all next summer.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me too,” Hazel replied, and, oh no, was Nico third wheeling right now?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then, Frank turned to face the lake once more. “I will say, I kinda wish I had my own activity to run. No offense, Nico, because I know you like being a floater, but it’s just too much like being a junior again. I just don’t know what I could do.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t you get the archery range up and running again?” Hazel asked instantly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Frank glanced warily at Nico over Hazel’s head. “Um, well, I--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think that’s a great idea,” Nico said with a shrug, hoping to convey nonchalance. “I mean, you’re good at it, and it’s something different for the kids to try. We already have all the equipment, so why not?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Frank frowned. “You don’t mind?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico rolled his eyes, but there wasn’t any heat behind it. “I’m fine, Frank. I’d rather all that stuff get put to use rather than sitting around and collecting dust like it’s been for the last few years.” He shrugged again, but this time he was sure it betrayed his sudden discomfort at the topic of conversation. He drew his knees up to his chest, and when he spoke again, his voice was softer. “She put a lot of work into that range, and it’s stupid that it’s gone unused for so long. Talk to Chiron about it. I’m sure he’d love to have another activity to throw into the mix.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hazel set a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly. He covered her hand with one of his own. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll go with you,” Hazel told Frank. “We can talk to Chiron about it next weekend, in between sessions. And we can work on having it up and running for open activities next session.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Frank said, “both of you. I promise I’ll do Bianca proud.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico offered him a gentle smile. “I know you will.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They each looked back toward the lake as a lull fell over the conversation before Frank broke the silence. “Aw, man, now I’m excited! I just wanna go now.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico snorted, his eyes scanning the beach and finally landing on a sleeping figure just off to his left. “I bet I could give you a good distraction, at least for a little while.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s that?” Frank asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico nodded his head to the left and shot Frank a grin. “Go bury Leo up to his neck before he wakes up.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Frank leaned forward, looking around Nico and spotting Leo a short ways away. “You got a deal. Hazel?” He got to his feet and held a hand out to help Hazel up. She brushed the sand off her legs as she stood, and the wind carried it straight into Nico’s face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, watch it!” he exclaimed, shielding his eyes with his hands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, Neeks,” she said, and reached down to ruffle his hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico swatted her hand away, and called after her as she and Frank started walking away, “If you just rubbed sand into my hair, Hazel, I swear!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He ducked his head and rubbed the pads of his fingers frantically across his scalp, making his hair stand up like a mad scientist’s. Once he was satisfied that his head was as sand-free as it was going to be, he lifted his head and tried to flatten his hair back down, and spotted a figure approaching him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a good thing Nico was wearing sunglasses, because otherwise there was no way that Will </span>
  <em>
    <span>wouldn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> have noticed his blatant staring as he marched up the beach. Had Nico’s jaw dropped open? He hoped not. Why was Will walking straight toward him? And why couldn’t Nico manage to pry his eyes away?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Actually, that was a stupid question. Obviously Nico was staring because Will looked </span>
  <em>
    <span>good.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He was still dripping from his time in the water, and the way the sun bounced off his tan skin made him appear to glow. It was clear that he frequented the gym, because his chest and arms could rival Jason’s - Nico would somehow have to convince him to stop wearing those plaid shirts over his t-shirts all the time, if </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span> was what he was hiding. As Will got even closer, Nico could see that his freckles traveled down his chest and stomach, all the way to the waistband of his swim trunks, and Nico suddenly wondered if they went even </span>
  <em>
    <span>lower.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He found only three imperfections on Will’s body - if anything could be considered an imperfection on a body </span>
  <em>
    <span>carved from marble</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Two lines of scar tissue that ran horizontal across Will’s chest, and over his heart--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Was that a </span>
  <em>
    <span>tattoo?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Was Nico drooling? Would it be more embarrassing to be caught drooling, or to wipe at his mouth when there was nothing there?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Too late, Will was already </span>
  <em>
    <span>right in front of him</span>
  </em>
  <span> and Nico’s eyes had tracked him the whole way up the beach. There was clearly no pretending that he hadn’t been staring, now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will stepped to Nico’s left, and for a second Nico feared that Will was going to plop right down next to him, wet trunks directly in the sand, but Will went for something slightly behind Nico - a backpack. How had Nico forgotten that Will had left his backpack there before taking a dip in the lake? Oh, right, because Nico had been more focused on watching his muscular back and legs as he ran toward the water. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will grabbed a towel, drying his face and rubbing at his hair, and-- Oh, god, Will was </span>
  <em>
    <span>talking</span>
  </em>
  <span> to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh?” Nico said, and made sure to snap his jaw shut immediately afterward to avoid any drooling mishaps. Seriously, Mr. Goody Two Shoes had a </span>
  <em>
    <span>tattoo?</span>
  </em>
  <span> How could Nico ask about it without sounding like a creep who’d spent the last few </span>
  <em>
    <span>(hours, weeks)</span>
  </em>
  <span> minutes ogling him?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said, is this seat taken?” Will asked, though he didn’t wait for an answer before he waved his towel in the breeze and laid it in the sand beside Nico. “You know, the water’s nice and refreshing if you wanted to go for a swim.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not big on swimming,” Nico told him, “but thanks.” He let his eyes drift down to Will’s chest again, his mouth already opening to comment on the sun-shaped ink he saw, but Will beat him to it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have a question,” he said, and Nico’s eyes snapped back up to Will’s.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hm?” Nico hummed, and noticed that Will’s eyes had sunk lower as well. Not to Nico’s chest - he was wearing a tank top, and there wasn’t much to see anyway, in his opinion - but to his neck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re all wearing those necklaces,” Will pointed out. “Well, almost all of you. But yours only has two beads, and Percy’s has, like, five.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a counselor’s tradition,” Nico told him, reaching up to roll his two beads on their leather cord, then let his hand drop back into his lap. “This is my third year, so I only have two beads so far. Annabeth, Percy, and Grover have all been here the longest, so they have the most.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So this is Frank and Leo’s first year,” Will asked, “since they don’t have necklaces?”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will’s eyes flickered back up to Nico’s for just a second as he asked, “Can I see yours?” Nico barely had the chance to tip his head down in another nod before Will was leaning in and brushing the tips of his fingers across Nico’s collarbone, making Nico’s breath catch in his throat. Will rolled the beads on the cord, examining the intricate designs. Something akin to a smirk started to play on his lips as he said, “So, if this is only your third summer, then how come you act like such an expert?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As I’ve told you before, I practically grew up here,” Nico reminded him, and leaned in tauntingly - he was well within Will’s personal space at this point. “But I guess, compared to you, everybody’s an expert, right?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will grinned. “Touch</span>
  <span>é</span>
  <span>.” His gaze dropped back to the necklace once more. “So, why the different designs? And are these hand painted?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico hummed an affirmative. “Rachel makes them every year. She goes around to all of the other counselors and asks what they think was the most memorable thing about this summer; whatever sets it apart from the years before. Then she tries to make a bead out of it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will’s eyes stayed locked on the necklace, his fingers occasionally brushing against Nico’s skin as he continued to examine the beads. “What’s this one?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico cracked a smile. “I don’t know. I can’t see it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will met his gaze once again, his head tilting to the side just slightly. “You only have two, smartass. Pick one. I was gonna ask about the other one next anyway.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Watch your language, dipshit, there’s children around.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will’s head dropped as he started to laugh softly. He was so close that Nico could feel Will’s hair brushing against his shoulder, his hand now resting more firmly against the base of Nico’s neck. Nico caught his lower lip between his teeth, biting down hard enough to feel a sting because he knew that if he didn’t do something to stop himself, he’d kiss Will as soon as he lifted his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, alright,” Will said, and his fingers traced across Nico’s collarbone until they reached the beads again. Was Will </span>
  <em>
    <span>trying</span>
  </em>
  <span> to kill Nico, or was it purely coincidental? “This one looks almost like an angel.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His head tilted up, and Nico was struck by how </span>
  <em>
    <span>close</span>
  </em>
  <span> they were. That had to be intentional, right? There was no way that Will didn’t know what he was doing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico bit down even harder, enough to make himself flinch, and he forced his eyes to look </span>
  <em>
    <span>anywhere else</span>
  </em>
  <span> before he spoke. “It is,” he said quickly. “Um. It’s an angel - that’s from my first year. My sister and I were both counselors that year, and it was the first time in a while that there were siblings who were counselors at the same time. I think Jason and his sister Thalia were just a year shy of it. Um, anyway, everybody decided that the most memorable thing about that summer was that Bianca and I were both there - the di Angelos, the angels.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will sat up a little straighter, and Nico wasn’t sure if he was relieved at the small amount of distance that it added between them or if he was sad to see Will go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh!” Will said excitedly. “So that must mean that Bianca was the counselor of cabin eight, right?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico flinched, feeling his shoulders curl in almost imperceptibly. “How did you know that?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will’s reaction was to turn sheepish, turning his own gaze away and rubbing awkwardly at the back of his neck. “Oh, um. Well, remember last weekend when you ran off to cabin eight to hide out for a little while?” Rather than waiting for an answer, Will rolled his eyes at himself and continued, “Of course you do. Sorry. Um. I was kind of worried, you know? But everybody else said that I should just give you some space, and that you and the old counselor from cabin eight used to be close, but… Well, they never said you were </span>
  <em>
    <span>siblings.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico hesitated. “That’s...all they said?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will shrugged. “Just that she’s not around anymore, and that nobody really keeps in touch with her.” Will shot him a look, as though trying to decide if he wanted to ask more about Bianca, but he seemed to sense Nico’s discomfort. “What happened the next year?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico flinched again. “What?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your other bead.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He breathed a sigh of relief. Nico didn’t know what he would have done if Will had asked about Bianca. He could’ve lied, sure, and maybe said that she’d gone off and gotten a job somewhere, or that she simply hadn’t wanted to come back. But he didn’t want to lie to Will. Though if he really thought about it, those may not have been lies at all, but it would be unlikely that Nico would ever find out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico reached up to roll the beads between his fingers again, his eyes focused on where the edge of his towel met the sand as he recalled that second summer. When he spoke again, he had the beginnings of a smile on his face. “That was the year Reyna came out,” he said with pride in his voice. “It was also the first time we outnumbered the straights.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Reyna’s…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gay ace,” Nico filled in. “I think she has a thing for Rachel, but I doubt she’ll after act on it.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Said the pot about the kettle.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Will leaned back on his hands, stretching his legs out in front of him. “So,” he said after a short silence passed between them, “have any idea of what the bead might be for this summer?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico turned his head to look at him. “That depends on what everyone decides is most memorable.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will seemed to sway towards him. “And what do </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> think has been the most memorable thing so far?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico felt himself being drawn toward Will, the word </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> dancing just behind his lips before somebody called out to him from a little ways down the beach. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nico!” one of the girls from Rachel’s cabin said, running up to him and kicking a bit of sand onto his towel. “Will you help us build a sand castle? Ours keeps falling apart.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure, I’ll be right there,” Nico told her, and the girl ran off back toward the shore. “Sorry, Solace. Duty calls.” He stood up and braced himself for the feeling of sand between his toes before he stepped off the towel, doing his best to suppress a cringe. “Don’t let my towel blow away, would you? And don’t worry about the beads. Whatever it ends up being, you’ll get one, too. You’re part of the team now, after all.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will smiled in response, and Nico felt his eyes on him all the way down to the water. </span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>For the second week of the session, Rachel took over the arts and crafts tent and set Hazel free to float between activities and help wherever she was needed. And of course, Nico jumped on the opportunity to spend some quality time with his sister and tagged along wherever she went. Really, it was only a matter of time before Hazel realized that wherever Nico went, Will was bound to follow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In an attempt to get Nico alone one afternoon, Hazel volunteered to help Reyna with her wilderness survival class, and Nico jumped on board as well. It was the furthest activity from the infirmary, and Hazel knew that Will would have to be a few brain cells away from being an idiot to follow Nico so far out into the woods when an injury could happen at any second. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For the most part, Nico and Hazel were just there to supervise - make sure nobody ran off, stop any serious injuries from occurring, and take anyone to the infirmary if need be. While Reyna explained the rules and expectations, Nico and Hazel stood a ways off behind the group so that Hazel could do her duty as an annoying little sister. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So. You and Will looked awfully cozy on the beach on Saturday,” she said, exceptionally blunt but with her voice quiet enough that none of the children would overhear. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico tensed. “We were just talking.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is he normally so </span>
  <em>
    <span>touchy-feely</span>
  </em>
  <span> when you’re--” she brought out air quotes to use around the words, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“just talking?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“He wasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>touchy-feely,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Nico hissed, “he was just looking at my camp necklace!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, mhm,” Hazel said, nodding along. “So then it’s your camp necklace that has him following you around to all the different activities every day?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico gasped. “I knew it! You hate survival class! You only dragged me out here to talk about Will!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you admit there’s something to talk about! You know, other than the fact that you’re, like, in love with him.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am </span>
  <em>
    <span>not--”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Nico stopped himself before his voice could get any louder, and took a deep breath. “Okay, fine, yes, I like him. I’m not </span>
  <em>
    <span>in love with him,</span>
  </em>
  <span> but I think he’s nice, and he’s attractive--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>exactly</span>
  </em>
  <span> your type,” Hazel cut in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up,” Nico said in the tone of </span>
  <em>
    <span>was I finished?</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Besides, I already told Percy that I’m not gonna ask him out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hazel smacked his arm. “Why not?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because what’s supposed to happen? I ask him out, and we do some weird, not-quite-real dating for a month, and then we break up? I don’t even know if he has any intention of coming back here next summer, so this might be all the time I have with him.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly,” Hazel said, which was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> what Nico was expecting to hear. “This is all the time you have, so why not make the best of it? And you never know, maybe he will come back next year. Or maybe--” she gasped overdramatically, “--he might like you enough to keep dating you after summer ends! Imagine that.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “He’s starting medical school in the fall, Hazel. I don’t think he’s gonna have time for some guy he barely knows.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll never know until you try,” Hazel sang back at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not gonna happen. I can’t… I don’t think I can handle another rejection.” He dropped his gaze to the ground, kicking a rock loose from the dirt. “And definitely not from him.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hazel wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close for a side hug. “Oh, my sweet, dumb brother. He’s not going to reject you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If he likes me so much, he can ask me out himself.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have you considered the possibility that he’s been thinking the same thing?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico paused, considering, then scoffed. “No way, that’s stupid.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But it’s not stupid that that’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>your</span>
  </em>
  <span> plan?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What does he have to be worried about? Who would reject him? Have you </span>
  <em>
    <span>seen</span>
  </em>
  <span> him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Everyone has their reasons.” Hazel squeezed his side once more. “Just think about it, okay? Let yourself imagine a </span>
  <em>
    <span>good</span>
  </em>
  <span> outcome for once, instead of always thinking of the worst case scenario.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico laughed humorlessly. “Have we met?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She dug a finger into his side, causing Nico to flinch and squirm out of her hold. “God, di Angelo, at least </span>
  <em>
    <span>try.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re just gonna make me get my hopes up.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hazel smiled at him. “I don’t think you’re going to end up disappointed.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So Nico tried. He let himself imagine a scenario where he confessed his feelings to Will, and Will said the same right back. It felt...</span>
  <em>
    <span>good,</span>
  </em>
  <span> freeing almost, but it still didn’t give him the courage to say anything the next time he saw Will in the mess hall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>No, instead he let himself keep thinking. Will sat with him at dinner, and Nico imagined a different dinner for just the two of them, where there were no screaming kids and the food tasted a little better. But Will still smiled at him all the same. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He imagined sneaking into the infirmary just to say hello and see that smile on Will’s face again, and when he went to sleep, he imagined what it would feel like to have Will’s arms around him. When he got up in the morning and went to get coffee from the staff room, he didn’t let himself get annoyed when he found the carafe empty. Instead, he pictured Will there with him, sharing a kiss with him over a steaming cup of coffee. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And once he’d sat down at table thirteen with a half-drunk cup of coffee, feeling much more awake than he had been before, he looked out at the boys sitting at his table with a smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then he remembered that it was Thursday.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he only had until six o’clock that evening to make friendship bracelets for all the boys in his cabin. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Shit.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He had to stop thinking about Will. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He led his boys back to cabin thirteen and reminded them of which activity each of them had signed up for. He sent them off in groups of two or three, then went off on his own toward the arts and crafts tent. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rachel and Leo were inside, along with a handful of campers spread out throughout the tent. Nico tried to sneak in and head straight for the back corner where he knew the bracelet supplies were waiting, but of course Rachel saw him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Neeks. We’ve got this handled on our own if you want to head out to another activity,” she said, but Nico didn’t so much as hesitate at the sound of her voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, not here to supervise,” Nico told her, and grabbed the two bins full of beads - one of assorted colors, the other with classic letter beads. He took them back to an empty table, along with string and scissors and anything else he would need.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo followed after him, peering over Nico’s shoulder as he settled into a chair. He set down that morning’s activity schedule with each of his campers’ names on it to use as a checklist as he worked. Leo leaned in close, fully invading Nico’s personal space as he asked incredulously, “Are you making </span>
  <em>
    <span>friendship bracelets?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico elbowed him in the stomach to get him to back off. “Yes.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You have </span>
  <em>
    <span>friends?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Would you back off, Valdez?” Nico said, trying to keep his voice down, because two counselors in a screaming match did not set a good example for the kids present. “I’ve got a lot of work to do.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo backed off. “Alright, fine. Guess you don’t want my help then. You seem pretty stressed about this, so I’ll just let you do all that work by yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico’s brain decided to stop listening at </span>
  <em>
    <span>help.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Wait, would you--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope!” Leo was already walking away. “You lost your chance, bro! Good luck on your own.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico slammed his forehead down onto the table and heaved a heavy sigh. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he didn’t have time for that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He started on the first bracelet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He felt like he spent most of his time digging around in the letter bead bin, and for the most part he just grabbed colored beads at random. He hoped none of his boys were the kind to get offended at the color pink. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sometime after the second bracelet was complete, Nico noticed a figure sit down across from him at the table - wearing an orange shirt, so one of the counselors, though he didn’t bother looking up to see who it was before grumbling, “Unless you’re here to help, go away.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure, I can help,” Will replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico’s hand slipped on the string in his hand, sending beads flying. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are we making?” Will asked, leaning his elbows on the table so he could get a closer look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico scrambled to corral the fallen beads so that none of them rolled off the table. “Friendship bracelets,” he answered. “For my cabin.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, nice! Yeah, I’d love to help,” Will told him with a smile. “Just give me a rundown of what to do, and I’ll get right on it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico slid one of the already finished bracelets across the table to him. “This one’s finished, so just make it look like...that. The colors don’t matter, but for sizing and whatever.” He pushed the activity schedule to the center of the table and continued, “And I need ten, total. I’ve just been going down this list and putting a check next to one of the names when I finish one.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Got it,” Will said, shooting Nico another smile, and then got to work. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They worked mostly in silence, at least between them. The campers on the other end of the tent were rather noisy, but the background noise gave Nico comfort in the thought that he wouldn’t need to try to hold a conversation while they worked. He had too much to do to talk, and having Will there in front of him wasn’t helping with his whole </span>
  <em>
    <span>thinking </span>
  </em>
  <span>thing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He glanced up a few times, and if Will asked then he would’ve claimed that it was to check on his progress, but every time he looked, Will was concentrated on the task at hand. He was hunched over just slightly, fingers nimble as he strung up the beads together. There was a wrinkle between his eyebrows that Nico wanted to smooth away with fingers or lips, and he could perfectly imagine Will pouring over a textbook the night before a test.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico forced himself to look away, to refocus on the bracelet in his hands. He couldn’t let himself get distracted when he was already running out of time. Though, to be fair, it wasn’t just the bracelets he was running out of time on - that deadline just came sooner. He only had about another month with Will before the possibility arose that he would never see Will again. Was he really going to risk the chance that Will wouldn’t ask him out before their time was up? Was Nico actually making a huge mistake?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He opened his mouth, prepared to say whatever first word came to mind, but Will beat him to it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you pass me some more string?” Will asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico clamped his mouth shut and tossed Will the ball of string. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For another hour - it probably would’ve been quicker if they didn’t have to keep digging around to find the right letter beads - they worked in relative silence. Nico couldn’t build up the courage to try to speak, and Will seemed content on working on his own. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico finished a bracelet and reached for the activity sheet, about to mark off the last name, but found that there was already a check mark beside all ten names. But if they were done, then why was Will still sitting across from him? And more importantly, why was he still stringing another bracelet together?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And what was Nico supposed to do with this extra bracelet?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He started cleaning up the mess they’d made, tossing extra beads back into their respective bins and gathering up scraps of string. He laid out the eleven completed bracelets in a row, double and triple counting to make sure he did in fact have one more bracelet than children in his cabin. He picked up the last bracelet that he’d made and turned it in his hands. While he’d mostly been beading bracelets at random, this one seemed to have a more cohesive color scheme of blues and blacks. There was something familiar about those shades of blue, but he couldn’t put his finger on why.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, is that all of them?” Will asked suddenly, and Nico’s head snapped up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And there were those beautiful blues.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In Nico’s attempt to stop thinking about Will for five minutes, had he really managed to make a bracelet that matched his eyes perfectly? What was </span>
  <em>
    <span>wrong</span>
  </em>
  <span> with him?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, yeah,” Nico answered, hiding the eleventh bracelet under the table, and glanced toward the rest of the tent when he heard Rachel announce that it was time to clean up. “And just in time for lunch, apparently.” He stuffed the blue and black bracelet into his pocket as he stood, and grabbed the two bead bins to put back on their shelf. By the time he returned to the table, Will had cleaned everything else up and had gathered the finished bracelets into a pile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for the help,” Nico told him. “Sorry, did I say that already? I don’t remember.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t,” Will said, stepping toward Nico with a smile, “but I’m happy to help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico smiled back, and slipped his hand into his pocket. “Consider this your thank you, then.” He held the bracelet out for Will, cringing internally at his actions. “Um. It might be a little small, because I was still, um, thinking about the bracelets for the kids, so--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, thank god,” Will cut in, reaching into his own pocket. “Now this won’t be weird.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico, still standing with his hand out offering the bracelet, watched as Will mirrored his position, holding out his own bracelet. It had yellows and oranges, with four white beads spelling out the name </span>
  <em>
    <span>WILL.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“You...made that for me?” Nico asked. His eyes flickered up from the bracelet to meet Will’s eyes, but as soon as he did, Will looked away. There was a blush rising on his cheeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I can’t go through summer camp without trading friendship bracelets, right?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico’s grin brightened. “Right.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took the bracelet from Will’s palm and slid it onto his wrist while Will did the same. Though Nico’s bracelet fit perfectly, even a bit loose, Will’s stretched around his wrist leaving gaps between the beads. Nico winced at the sight. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can make you a new one,” he said immediately.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will’s head tilted to the side. “No way, I like this one! Besides, I think you’ve made enough friendship bracelets to last the whole summer, don’t you?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico scoffed. “Clearly you’ve never spent very long at a summer camp.” </span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico made sure to wear all of the friendship bracelets he’d been given during that session when he handed out the ones he and Will had made to the boys in his cabin before they went off to play capture the flag. They rounded up the campers and split into two teams, then sent the campers off to their respective sides of the woods while the counselors convened. Annabeth and Reyna kept their strategies to themselves, but Nico and Percy traded their ideas for where the flag might be hidden, and Jason and Frank discussed their plans for each team’s jail. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they parted ways, Nico saw Will coming up to the edge of the boundary, and he offered a quick wave before hurrying off to help his team hide their flag. They had five minutes to hide the flag and set up the jail, then decide which campers were going to play offense and defense before Grover blew the game starting whistle. Then, the campers were on their own. Mostly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico stood guard at his usual edge of the boundary, and it wasn’t long before he noticed Will making his rounds. He was stopped by a camper on Nico’s team just a short distance away, and the camper asked, “Can you tell us where the other team’s flag is?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will replied, “I’m sorry, but I don’t know where it is.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The kid turned around with a huff, all semblance of sweetness gone as she turned back to the awaiting group of her teammates and said, “He won’t help us.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will grimaced, continuing on his way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re never going to make friends if you keep secrets like that,” Nico told him as Will approached. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pouted. “But I don’t know anything!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please,” Nico said with a fond roll of his eyes, “Percy wouldn’t shut up about all of his </span>
  <em>
    <span>amazing ideas</span>
  </em>
  <span> on where to hide his flag. You’d have to be deaf not to hear it all week.” He turned to face Will fully, leaning in slightly with narrowed eyes as he continued, “Unless you’re still just trying to stop us from cheating.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no! Not trying to stop the cheating,” Will told him frantically, waving his hands out in front of him. “I </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> just don’t know anything. And besides, cheating just isn’t in my nature!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico eyed him with that calculating gaze for just a moment longer before he decided that Will was telling the truth. “Alright. Then watch and learn, Solace.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He spun on his heel, taking a second to scan the group of campers who seemed to be chatting among themselves in an attempt to make a plan of attack. Nico started forward, toward one kid on the outskirts, and tapped him on the shoulder. Nico whispered the location of the flag in his ear, and the boy grabbed him in a quick hug before running off to tell his friends. Nico returned to Will’s side moments later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did that really look so hard?” Nico teased. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will’s grin was a little lopsided. “Okay, sure, now I know </span>
  <em>
    <span>how </span>
  </em>
  <span>to cheat, but that still doesn’t mean I have any useful information to give away.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico shoved at his shoulder - much more gently than he usually did with his friends, and sue him if maybe his hand lingered longer than it needed to. “You’re constantly scouting the other side of the field. Are you really not paying attention to where their flag or jail is?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will scratched at the back of his neck, peering over Nico’s head in the direction of the other team’s territory. “I guess I hadn’t thought of that. But if I’m giving away all of their secrets, then it would only be fair to give yours away, too. What’s stopping me from helping </span>
  <em>
    <span>them</span>
  </em>
  <span> cheat?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico grinned, taking half a step forward until he was well within Will’s personal space, and dropped his voice to a quiet hum before saying, “You like me better.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He watched as Will’s face started to glow with a growing blush. He whispered back, “You got me there.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico had to force himself to move away before he did something stupid. So he took a couple of steps back and said, “Go on, William. You’ve got scouting to do.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you insist.” Will offered a tiny wave as he started to leave, and Nico’s heart skipped a beat at the black and blue bracelet he spotted on Will’s wrist. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He kept an eye on the game while Will was gone. He watched the boundary to make sure nobody ventured off into a different part of the woods, and he made sure all of his kids were following the rules - the important ones, at least. He started getting concerned when it looked like the number of campers on his side was dwindling, but he assumed that the kids had decided to rush the other team for a chance to get the flag. It wasn’t a strategy Reyna usually encouraged, but maybe Annabeth had gone heavy with the defense this week. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Soon enough, two campers came running up to him, one of them announcing, “You lied!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico frowned. “About what?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You told Joey that the flag was across the creek and to the right and hanging from a tree, but we didn’t see it anywhere,” the camper told him. “We have </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> many people in jail now!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> possible,” Nico said. “Percy told me himself that that’s where he put the flag.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The little girl huffed and crossed her arms. “Well, then Percy lied, too! And now we’re gonna lose!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s the problem?” a voice said to Nico’s left, and Will suddenly appeared. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Percy lied!” Nico told him. “You were just over there, did you see where their flag is?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will grinned. “Cheating’s not so fun now, is it?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico shot a glare back. “Watch the border for me. I have my own scouting to do.” He turned to the kids who were still standing nearby and said, “I’ll be right back. I’m gonna find that flag for you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Nico started marching away to the opposite team’s territory, he pulled his walkie from his pocket and spoke into it. “I know you’re cheating, Percy, and when I find you, we’re gonna see just how long you can really hold your breath underwater.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t get a response, so he continued on, heading straight for where Percy claimed his team’s flag would be. However, right after he crossed the creek, he was swarmed by campers from the other team who all dragged him off to jail while Annabeth and Percy laughed in the background. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico was thrown into a roped off area between a few trees, crowded in with campers from his own team. He brought his walkie out once more and said, “Hey, uh, anybody wanna send some red team kids for a jailbreak? We’re about ten yards past the creek, veer left. You can’t miss it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The walkie was ripped from his hands suddenly, as Piper snapped, “No cheating, di Angelo!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stuck his tongue out at her. It was the best he could do while there were still kids around. </span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first thing Percy did when the last of the kids were picked up was check on their booze supply, which had been hidden away in the back corner of cabin eight. He marched out with only a half-empty bottle of vodka in hand, and announced that it was time to send somebody out on a booze run. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I went last time, so I’m out,” Percy said, “and whoever goes needs to be at least twenty-one so Mr. D doesn’t have a reason to call the cops. So that takes out Hazel, Frank, and Leo.” He turned toward Will, a frown on his face and an unspoken question on his lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m twenty-two,” Will told him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy grinned. “Does that mean you’re volunteering?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will hesitated, looking like he was struggling to find an excuse not to. Nico understood completely - if he’d heard the same stories about Mr. D that Will had, he wouldn’t be all that eager to go, either. Hell, he’d </span>
  <em>
    <span>interacted</span>
  </em>
  <span> with the man, and he most definitely didn’t feel the need to go back anytime soon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know how to get there,” Will finally settled on. Nico shot him a sympathetic look; that wouldn’t save him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s fine, somebody else will go with you,” Percy said, clearly not planning on letting Will get out of this easily. He tapped on his chin as he scanned the faces of the rest of the crowd, muttering, “Someone with Daddy’s credit card…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico nearly gagged. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Never</span>
  </em>
  <span> say that again.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And we have our second volunteer!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico flinched. “What? No, I went last time! Why can’t Annabeth or Rachel go? They have money, too.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t have a car here,” Rachel piped up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Annabeth shot Nico a grin. “We carpooled.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So </span>
  <em>
    <span>carpool</span>
  </em>
  <span> to the liquor store!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have you </span>
  <em>
    <span>seen</span>
  </em>
  <span> the state of that Prius?” Annabeth asked. “We’ll be lucky to get back home next month.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy frowned. “Hey!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Annabeth patted his arm, though she didn’t take back her words. Nico had ridden in that car recently, and if it were him, he wouldn’t take it back either. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why can’t Piper go?” Nico tried, though he knew that argument wouldn’t last. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She actually started to laugh, and Nico thought, </span>
  <em>
    <span>that’s fair. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico huffed, crossing his arms and standing his ground for another three seconds before he finally gave in. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Fine.</span>
  </em>
  <span> I’ll go get my keys.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He marched back to cabin thirteen, grabbing his wallet and keys before returning outside. Will was lingering just outside the door, looking nervous and uncomfortable, and his head snapped up when Nico stepped through the door. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um. Hi,” Will said, and Nico raised an eyebrow at him. “Look, if you really don’t want to go-- I mean, I’ll need you to give me directions at least, but you don’t have to-- I can go by myself. If you really don’t want to go.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico could only stare back at him. Will almost sounded </span>
  <em>
    <span>afraid</span>
  </em>
  <span> to have to spend the next half hour locked in a car with him. Then, Will met his eyes, and Nico realized what he’d done - he’d had acted like going on a booze run with Will was the worst job on the planet, and had tried to push it off on anybody else. Of course Will would be hurt by that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s okay,” Nico told him. “I just don’t want Mr. D to shred my license.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will frowned. “Why would he do that?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico offered a half-smile and held up his keys. “Tell you on the way?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico tried his best to adequately prepare Will for his first interaction with Mr. D. He started with the earliest history he knew of Camp Delphi’s interaction with the man, starting back when Thalia was still a counselor. Nico had been told that Thalia and Mr. D had had a very civil relationship, because what store owner wouldn’t be happy about having one college kid coming in twice a month to buy a couple hundred dollars worth of liquor? Then, he’d somehow learned that Thalia had been supplying to underage kids - which, in any other country, would not have been the case - and flew off the rails. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After that, the counselors had gone with a rotating system to buy their booze, at first so that Mr. D wouldn’t catch on that they were all from the same place, but now because it was just easier. Nobody wanted to deal with Mr. D more than once a year if they could avoid it, so really, it was for their own sanity as much as his. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then, Nico shared about the time that Mr. D had shredded his fake ID, and then threatened to do so again just last month - which was why </span>
  <em>
    <span>Will</span>
  </em>
  <span> would be buying today, with the assistance of Nico’s dad’s credit card. He told Will about the time that Piper had been caught stealing, and Chiron had to come pick her up or else the police would take her to jail. He explained that they usually worked as a team to steal a handful of small things, considering it their reparation pay for having to deal with Mr. D. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wouldn’t it be easier to just go somewhere else?” Will asked eventually.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico shot him a grin. “But this is so much more fun. Besides, we’re already here.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He parked the car in one of the many empty spaces. The inside of the store was just as empty as the vacant parking lot would suggest, which just meant that Mr. D wouldn’t have any distractions when they walked through the door. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as his eyes landed on Nico, he pointed a bloated finger across the counter at him and said, “Alright, hands where I can see them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico rolled his eyes and raised his hands to about shoulder height, his keys hanging by the ring off his middle finger as he showed Mr. D his palms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know what you took last time you were here, but I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> you stole something,” Mr. D continued, looking down his finger at Nico as though it was the barrel of a gun. “You won’t be leaving my sight, got it? And you!” Immediately, Mr. D took his eyes off of Nico and looked to Will instead, who instantly copied Nico’s stance with his hands in the air. “I don’t know you, but you’d better not give me a reason to call the cops.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, sir,” Will replied. “I mean, uh, yes, sir?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. D nodded, seeming satisfied with the amount of fear he’d instilled in Will, and turned his gaze back to Nico. He’d lowered his hands, already having slipped a pack of gum off the counter into his pocket when Mr. D shouted at him to put his hands back up. “I’m just putting my keys away.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. D waved him closer as Will started to venture further into the store. “You’re going to stand right here where I can see you. Hands on the counter.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico stood directly across from Mr. D, his palms flat on the counter between them, and glanced up to see Mr. D glaring back at him. “I guess I should say </span>
  <em>
    <span>congratulations,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Nico said with a grimace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Congrats,” Nico repeated. “You’ve successfully created the most uncomfortable vibe in the world in less than sixty seconds.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. D’s eyes narrowed - any further and he’d be standing there with his eyes shut. “What the hell are you talking about?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“These vibes. They’re absolutely rancid.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He saw Mr. D subtly mouth the word </span>
  <em>
    <span>vibe?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico gasped in faux surprise. “Wait, do you not know what a vibe is?” He scanned the room in search of Will, calling out, “Will, he doesn’t know what a </span>
  <em>
    <span>vibe</span>
  </em>
  <span> is!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, eyes on me!” Mr. D exclaimed, and Nico’s head snapped forward again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dude, please. I’m gay, but like, I have standards.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mr. D started </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuming.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “If you don’t shut your mouth, I’ll call--” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Call the cops, I know, I know,” Nico said with another roll of his eyes. “Isn’t that line getting old? I know I’m certainly getting tired of hearing it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Mr. D could reply, Will appeared at the counter with a basket practically overflowing with bottles. “I think I got everything,” Will said, glancing around nervously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you get extra rum?” Nico asked. “We ran out last time.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will reached into his pocket and took out the list that Jason had hastily scribbled out for him while Nico was in his cabin, and held it between them. Nico quickly scanned the basket’s contents and decided that Will had grabbed everything they needed, so he started unloading the basket onto the counter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will seemed somehow jumpier now than he had been when they walked in the door, so when Mr. D asked to see his ID, Will scrambled to pull it from his pocket. Mr. D seemed satisfied with Will’s license and nervous composure - maybe Nico had been too overconfident, and Mr. D was more trusting of the people who acted scared of him. Or maybe it was because Will was, like, a foot taller than Nico and actually looked like a grown adult man. (Nico would accept that he looked young enough to still be called a “kid” by most people, but calling him a high schooler was crossing the line!)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico eventually managed to slip his hands off the counter - one hand pocketing another pack of gum, and the other taking out his wallet - so that he could hand over his credit card. Mr. D let himself get distracted by bagging up their purchase, so Nico had plenty of time to pocket a few more things, but without stepping away from the counter the only things he could grab were two more packs of gum and a lighter. Not an incredibly impressive haul. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once they had everything in bags and Mr. D had threatened one last time to call the police, Will practically ran out the door, not looking back to make sure Nico would follow. He was already at the car and trying the handle before Nico had even thought about getting his keys out of his pocket.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nico, open the door,” Will called out, his voice still sounding shaky from nerves, which didn’t make sense because Will would likely never have to interact with Mr. D again. Really, he should be celebrating. Still, Nico understood the urge to get away from there as fast as possible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico tried juggling bags to get at his pocket, but his keys had been pushed down under a few packs of gum. “Hang on,” he said, and set the bags down on the ground beside the car. He fished his keys out of his pocket, and as soon as Will saw them in hand he started pulling on the door handle again. “Will, stop it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nico--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop pulling the thing!” He pressed the unlock button about six times, until he finally got the timing right and the door unlocked. Will dropped the bags in the footwell and climbed in, shooting Nico a terrified look that said </span>
  <em>
    <span>what are you waiting for?</span>
  </em>
  <span> before he shut the door. Nico picked his bags up off the ground and circled around to the driver’s door and climbed in, setting his bags in Will’s lap before he started emptying his pockets of his stolen goods. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nico, we need to go,” Will told him, and Nico saw his leg starting to shake as his foot tapped out a rapid beat on the floor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine, we’ll get there when we get there,” Nico said. “They’ve got vodka to tide them over.” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“No,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Nico, we need to--” He breathed out a heavy sigh, and reached into his pocket, producing one of the little airplane-size bottles of rum that Nico had stolen the month before. “I may have...</span>
  <em>
    <span>forgotten</span>
  </em>
  <span> to pay for this…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico froze, staring at Will with wide eyes before he slowly started to smile. “You stole that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said I--” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Forgot to pay for it,” Nico repeated, suddenly feeling giddy, “which I think is </span>
  <em>
    <span>goody two shoes</span>
  </em>
  <span> code for </span>
  <em>
    <span>stealing,</span>
  </em>
  <span> isn’t it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, yes! I stole it,” Will admitted, clutching the tiny bottle with so much force that Nico was afraid it might shatter in his hand. “Can we </span>
  <em>
    <span>please</span>
  </em>
  <span> leave now before I start freaking out?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico’s head tilted, and he pouted. “Is that not what’s happening right now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Nico!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m kidding! Yes, we can leave. Buckle up.” Nico started the car, putting it in drive before reaching for his own seatbelt, and started out of the parking lot. Once they were back on the longest, straightest road in upstate New York, he reached over and shoved at Will’s arm, just enough to get his attention. “I’m proud of you,” he said, taking his eyes off the road for just a second to meet Will’s.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For committing a </span>
  <em>
    <span>crime?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Will shrieked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep!” Nico replied cheerfully. “Looks like there’s hope for you yet, Solace.” </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico was happy to have missed whatever conversation they’d been having around the fire while he was gone, since the first thing he heard when he and Will returned was a complaint from Hazel about how difficult it was to shave her legs in a camp shower. And apparently “so stop shaving,” had </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> been the right response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luckily, he was quickly able to turn the conversation away from all of the women yelling at him to announcing that Will was officially a criminal. It sparked not only cheers from the crowd, but an adorable blush that bloomed all the way to the tips of Will’s ears. Nico was pretty sure he was staring at Will with hearts in his eyes, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Soon after, the other counselors seemed to notice that Nico and Will were weighed down with numerous bags full of alcohol, and happily lightened their load. Then, once Nico’s hands were empty, he was free to start drinking. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sometime after the sun had set and Leo had gotten the fire roaring, Nico found himself sitting beside his sister, watching Will across the circle as he chatted with Grover. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hazel bumped him with her shoulder to get his attention and said, “So. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>stole</span>
  </em>
  <span> for you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico frowned. “Who?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She rolled her eyes. “Will.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh. Wait, no he didn’t. He just </span>
  <em>
    <span>stole.</span>
  </em>
  <span> It wasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>for me.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Hazel tilted her head to examine him. “How much have you had to drink?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’unno,” he answered with a shrug, and lifted his cup to his lips as he continued, “a lot.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Enough to admit that you have feelings for Will?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, well, I have </span>
  <em>
    <span>feelings</span>
  </em>
  <span> for everyone. And yours are slowly becoming negative.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hazel’s eyes narrowed. “How much do you think you would have to drink before you admitted that you have a crush?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“More than enough to kill me,” he answered, so quick it almost sounded rehearsed. “And then some.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And how much to admit that you think he’s pretty?” Hazel asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico frowned. “Who?” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Will.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh. What about him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hazel huffed in frustration. “You know, you’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>way</span>
  </em>
  <span> more drunk than you let on. It’s going to be impossible to hold a conversation with you after you finish that drink.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico glanced down at his cup. “You mean this one?” He downed the rest of its contents. “Okay, how am I?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You tell me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell you what?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How are you?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Very drunk, how are you?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hazel grinned. “You know, I think Will is </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>pretty.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico frowned. “Is he?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hazel shrugged. “If you don’t believe me, then maybe you should go see for yourself.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe I will.” He stood up, immediately stumbled, and then turned back to Hazel as he said, “Get it? I </span>
  <em>
    <span>will.</span>
  </em>
  <span> I </span>
  <em>
    <span>will</span>
  </em>
  <span> go see </span>
  <em>
    <span>Will.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Oh my god, this is hilarious, I have to tell him!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wandered around the fire, holding his empty cup in his hand as though it was filled to the brim and he was trying not to spill a drop. When he reached Will, he plopped down beside him, close enough that their legs were pressed up together. Will was smiling at him, but he kept leaning away, so Nico had to keep leaning closer to see if Hazel was right about him being pretty.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um. Hi?” Will said after a second. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi,” Nico replied, settling back and noticing that when he moved back, Will seemed to lean in. He wondered if he and Will were somehow attached by an invisible string that would only let them move so far apart. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s up?” Will asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico frowned. “Well, I had a joke for you, but I forgot it. Um. And Hazel said you’re pretty.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will started to smile and </span>
  <em>
    <span>oh.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Okay, yeah, Hazel was right. Will was </span>
  <em>
    <span>beautiful.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Tell her thank you for me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico started to nod, but the movement made him dizzy, so he stopped that right away. “I mean, she’s right, of course, but I had to check for myself, because she has kind of questionable taste.” He glanced out toward the rest of the circle to make sure that nobody was listening, and then leaned even closer to whisper, “She likes </span>
  <em>
    <span>Frank.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“And that’s...questionable?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, sorry. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How</span>
  </em>
  <span> is that questionable?” Will asked. “I mean, I like Frank too, but I’m going to assume not the same way Hazel does. You know, he’s...nice.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico rolled his eyes. “Yeah, that’s what he </span>
  <em>
    <span>wants</span>
  </em>
  <span> you to think.” He scanned the circle again, eyes narrowing when they landed on Frank, who had claimed Nico’s vacant spot beside Hazel. He called out, “I got my eyes on you, Frank!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Frank looked up with a smile, waving at Nico over the fire. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico turned back to Will and said, “He has a baby face.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will snorted. “No offense, Neeks, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> kind of have a baby face.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico gasped, straightening up and leaning away from Will to look up at him in horror. “You take that back! I do </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> have a baby face! </span>
  <em>
    <span>You</span>
  </em>
  <span> have a baby face!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay sure,” Will said simply as he smiled back, and Nico had a hard time feeling upset when that pretty face was looking at him with eyes that soft. “Do you maybe want some water?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Nico said. “I’m not drunk.” He poked Will in the chest with the hand still holding his empty cup. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“You’re</span>
  </em>
  <span> drunk.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can promise you, I’m not.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico huffed. “Well, maybe you should be.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will bumped his shoulder against Nico’s, though Nico couldn’t tell if it was intentional. “Nah, there’s an open fire, and there should definitely be at least one sober person here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico hummed. “I guess you’re right.” He settled back down, leaning heavily against Will’s side and turning his gaze out toward the fire. He had started chewing on the lip of his cup when he said, “You know, you’re not as dumb as you seem.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will snorted. “What’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> supposed to mean?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico tipped his cup back to take a drink, but pouted when he found it empty. “You can’t even read a </span>
  <em>
    <span>map.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, but I’m smart enough to get into </span>
  <em>
    <span>medical school.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico grinned and tipped his head up to look at Will as he teased, “Yeah, well maybe you should go back to </span>
  <em>
    <span>map school.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Will rolled his eyes, but he still had that pretty smile on his lips that Nico kind of wanted to kiss, so he figured he hadn’t roasted him </span>
  <em>
    <span>too</span>
  </em>
  <span> hard. He was considering leaning up for a kiss to see if those lips felt as good as they looked, but then he felt something brush against his back, and his mind jumped away from Will’s mouth to his hands. Had Will put an arm around him? Or did he just reach back to brace himself so that he could lean back on his hands? Should Nico lean back too, and see if Will’s arm was there to catch him? Or would he just end up falling over? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will’s voice, softer than it had been before, soft enough to match that look in his eyes now, brought Nico’s attention back to his lips. “Did you ever consider that maybe I was just playing dumb?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico frowned. “Why would you do that?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As an excuse to spend time with you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico scoffed. “No way. That’s even more dumb than anything else you’ve done. If you wanna hang out with me, then just do it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will’s smile brightened, almost enough to rival the light of the fire. “Okay. And, hypothetically…” He glanced away, his eyes darting around as though he wanted to look anywhere except at Nico, which brought a pout to Nico’s face. He didn’t want Will to look </span>
  <em>
    <span>anywhere else.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He wanted those soft, beautiful eyes on him and him </span>
  <em>
    <span>only.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Will cleared his throat. “Hypothetically, if I wanted to ask you out…” He met Nico’s gaze again, and Nico’s breath caught in his throat. Not at the words Will was saying, but at the pure hope he found in Will’s eyes. “Um. What would your response to that be?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico suddenly understood why Will had looked away. Had it always been so hard to look somebody in the eyes while talking? So instead, he leaned his head on Will’s shoulder as he thought, tapping out a rhythmless pattern onto the cup in his hands. Why did he still have this cup when there was nothing in it?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I would say…” He hummed. “Hypothetically, I would say </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally,</span>
  </em>
  <span> and, um, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you’re an idiot,</span>
  </em>
  <span> and…” Nico lifted his head. Either Will had leaned down, or Nico had moved closer, because now there were barely inches between them, and Nico could </span>
  <em>
    <span>so easily</span>
  </em>
  <span> close that gap, but instead he whispered, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“What took you so long?” </span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thanks for reading!!</p><p>between updates you can check me out on tumblr @buoyantsaturn where ive been using the '#camp counselors au' tag to talk about this fic!! so if you're interested come say hi!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hey folks!! happy friday the 13th!! ive had this one written for. a hot sec. and intentionally waited to post it today because!!! its what nico would want <br/>anyway,, ive seen a lot of theories from the last chapter so i think you will all be VERY interested to read this one!! enjoy!!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Will couldn’t remember a time where he’d woken up so happy. Maybe the day after he’d come out to his mom, or after he was accepted to his top choice medical school. But even those couldn’t hold a candle to the way he felt that morning. </p><p>Nico liked him back.</p><p>Nico liked him back!</p><p>He couldn’t stop repeating the words in his head, and every time he did, his smile grew until it couldn’t, and his face hurt before he’d even left the infirmary.</p><p>Nico liked him back, and Will was going to ask him out. They were going to <em> date, </em> and just the thought of going on a date with Nico had Will’s heart skipping a beat. He couldn’t wait any longer to see Nico, so Will got up, got dressed, and made his way to the mess hall. He didn’t expect Nico to be awake so early, and when he practically skipped into the building, he wasn’t all that surprised to see Nico sitting with his head down on the table. Will figured he had to be pretty hungover, considering the way he’d been acting the night before, but that just gave Will an excuse to take care of him. </p><p>He made his way toward the table where Nico was sitting. Will heard distant noise in the kitchen, meaning that somebody else was awake and likely cooking, and he thought he could hear somebody else talking from the direction of the staff room. But as for the table, Nico sat there alone. </p><p>Will pulled up a chair beside him and said, “Good morning.” He rested an elbow on the table, setting his chin in his hand, and smiled down at Nico. He was tempted to reach out, to brush Nico’s hair away from his face or smooth a hand down Nico’s back soothingly, but he held off for the time being. They weren’t in a relationship yet, after all, but hopefully they would be able to talk after breakfast, and then…</p><p>Will didn’t know what he was hoping for, but he’d be happy with just the chance to hold Nico’s hand. </p><p>What he wasn’t expecting was for Nico to flip him off.</p><p>“Oh, hey, Will,” Leo called out from the staff room doorway, heading toward him. “Don’t bother with him, he’ll probably be a zombie until tomorrow at the earliest.” </p><p>Nico threw his arms over his head and groaned out, “Shut <em> up.” </em></p><p>Leo grabbed a seat across the table, setting his coffee cup down in front of him before leaning back in his chair. Will half expected him to tip the chair over completely, but his knee caught on the underside of the table, keeping him suspended. “Yeah, after you turned in last night, Neeks here started puking, so he spent the night in Jason’s cabin since he’s the most responsible person who was still awake. That’s probably the only reason Nico’s here at all right now, poor guy. Jason’s so cruel that he won’t even let a dying man rest.” </p><p>Nico started to grumble something, but Will wasn’t able to catch it - it was too low and too mumbled and possibly not even in English - before the front legs of Leo’s chair came crashing back down. He looked upset by whatever Nico had said, and rose from his seat. </p><p>“You don’t need to be such an ass,” Leo replied, his hurt seeping into his voice. “I’m gonna get you some water. Maybe that’ll help - or maybe I’ll just dump it on your head, instead.” </p><p>“That bad, huh?” Will asked softly as Leo stormed off. He laughed a little awkwardly, turning nervous as he continued, “Do you even remember anything from last night?” </p><p>Oh, <em> god, </em> why did he <em> say that? </em> Did Nico not remember their conversation? He really was spectacularly drunk...did he even mean what he said? Or was he just playing along because of the alcohol in his body?</p><p>Nico heaved a deep sigh. “I remember Piper shoving her shaved leg in my face and telling me to feel how smooth it was. That’s the last thing. Then I was puking out Jason’s window in the middle of the night.” </p><p>Will felt himself closing off, shrinking right away. “Oh,” he breathed. He remembered that - Piper had been shoving her legs in everybody’s faces before Will had even finished his one and only drink that night. It was easily an hour before Nico had come to sit beside Will. He pushed his chair back, the legs screeching against the ground, and he winced in sympathy when Nico flinched. “I’m gonna-- Coffee.” </p><p>He practically ran from the table.</p><p>Will hid away in the staff room, greeting Jason when he walked in but otherwise ignoring him as he made his coffee. He needed a few minutes to clear his head before he went back out to face Nico again. Nico didn’t remember the conversation, and so why should Will assume that Nico had meant a single thing that he’d said? He didn’t <em> like </em> Will, not like that. They were just...friends. And it was going to take a while for Will to readjust if that was really the case. </p><p>He took his coffee and stepped back out of the room. A few others had arrived, chatting in whispers since they likely all were some level of hungover. The seat next to Nico had been left open, but Will felt like a wrong end of a magnet, being propelled away and off to the side. He sat next to Annabeth, instead. </p><p>When Nico finally lifted his head, Will tried not to meet his gaze, but he couldn’t help himself. As soon as he felt Nico’s eyes on him, Will sought him out. Nico was glaring, eyes squinting against the light in the room, but when he realized that Will was sitting across the table rather than beside him, Will could see something like hurt in his eyes. </p><p>He had to look away. He couldn’t stand to see that look in Nico’s eyes any longer.</p><p>Really, he was an idiot for thinking it would work out at all. Rule number one of drinking was <em> don’t have a serious conversation with somebody who’s super drunk, </em> and rule one, subsection A was <em> don’t get your hopes up about dating somebody who said they liked you while they were super drunk because it will only lead to heartbreak. </em> Or maybe those weren’t rules at all. Maybe that was just common sense, and Will really was a complete and total idiot. </p><p>After a horrendously greasy breakfast, just about everyone returned to their cabins for some peace and quiet to nurse their hangovers, and Will couldn’t have been more appreciative of the opportunity to lock himself away in the infirmary to continue to berate himself in private. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Will had been assigned to traffic control for the start of the next session, and he couldn’t have been happier to be as far away from everyone at camp as physically possible. He wasn’t avoiding Nico, he just didn’t particularly want to interact with him because he figured he would say or do something stupid the second they had any time alone together. </p><p>Shit, okay, he was probably, <em> technically, </em> avoiding him. But he didn’t like it.</p><p>He thought he and Nico were finally becoming friends - he had the friendship bracelet to prove it! - and now he’d ruined things by confessing his feelings at a time when it should’ve been obvious that Nico wouldn’t remember. How was he supposed to face Nico after that?</p><p>Will was grateful to have Grover on traffic control with him that day. He liked Grover. Grover was chill, and he didn’t give Will weird looks when he sighed too heavy, and he’d never been pushy like the rest of the counselors had when they realized how much Will liked Nico. </p><p>There wasn’t a whole lot of time for talking in between waving down cars and directing them toward the camp, but Grover had kept conversation mostly focused on school. He was nearly finished with his graduate studies - something environmentally- or agriculturally-based, as far as Will could tell - and Will could tell just from spending an hour with him that Grover’s true passion was protecting nature. He’d seen it before on the couple of times he’d joined in on one of Grover’s nature walks, but having the time to talk one-on-one had really--</p><p><em> Oh, </em> Will’s brain said, breaking into his thoughts, <em> he’s probably a stoner, huh? </em> Not that Will was against that, of course, and someone at camp was bound to be, so it made sense for it to be Grover. Either him or Leo, at least by Will’s guess. And now that he was thinking about it, he hoped that he was right - and even more hoped that Grover had a stash hidden somewhere at camp that he’d be willing to share. Will hadn’t gotten high in <em> so long, </em> but the more he thought about it, the more he started to crave it, if only to get out of his own head for a little while.</p><p>Now he just had to figure out how to subtly ask in a way that didn’t accidentally offend, and at a time where nobody else would overhear…</p><p>He lost the chance when Annabeth’s voice sounded over his walkie, announcing that it was time for them to head in. Technically, he could have asked when Grover drove them back on the camp’s golf cart, but Annabeth’s interruption seemed to have made all of his courage run and hide, so he kept his mouth shut. And sure, he could’ve tagged along to table four when Grover went into the mess hall, but Will didn’t want to end up following him around all day with a question on the tip of his tongue, because Grover was bound to ask about it himself sooner or later.</p><p>Besides, as soon as he stepped into the mess hall, his eyes landed on Rachel. She was an artist, so she was bound to have experimented with drugs once or twice, right? And if she didn’t have anything herself, maybe she would know who might.</p><p>Will strode toward table seven with his hands stuffed into his pockets, hoping that made him look more relaxed than suspicious, but he <em> was </em> about to go ask for drugs, so he figured he was bound to look at least a <em> little </em> suspicious. </p><p>“Hey, Will!” Rachel greeted when he got close, and he noticed that there weren’t many kids gathered near her table just yet. Good. Less chance of somebody overhearing. “What’s up?” </p><p>Okay, Will needed to phrase this <em> very </em> carefully, because he didn’t want to accidentally offend her, and he didn’t want to say anything too bluntly - haha, <em> blunt </em> - since there were kids around. He also couldn’t risk getting in trouble, because if Chiron found out and fired him, then he wouldn’t be admitted to medical school.</p><p>He took a deep breath, took a step closer, and whispered, “No offense, but you look like someone who might have pot, and if you do, I could really use some right about now.” </p><p>To her credit, Rachel only looked a little bit surprised before she broke out into a grin. “I guess Nico was wrong about you being such a goody-two-shoes, huh?” Will dropped his gaze at the sound of Nico’s name, and started rubbing awkwardly at the back of his neck. “Yeah, I have some,” Rachel continued. “I can bring you something at dinner, okay? Just promise you won’t take anything before lights out, because if you get caught, so do I.”</p><p>Will exhaled, and with his breath left most of the tension in his body, and he offered her a smile. “Yes, of course. Thank you so much, you have no idea how much I appreciate this.”</p><p>“Don’t worry about it,” she told him, patting him twice on the shoulder before glancing toward the doors. “It looks like we’re getting started soon. Wanna hang around here for orientation?” </p><p>“Yeah, sure,” Will answered, and pulled up a chair to join Rachel and her new assortment of cabinmates at table seven. As Annabeth and Percy jumped on stage to start orientation, Will felt a pair of eyes burning into the back of his head, but he didn’t let himself turn to see who it was. Table seven sat almost directly in front of table thirteen, and Will knew that looking back would only break his heart even more.</p><p> </p><p>Rachel found him at dinner that night and pressed three individually wrapped gummy bears into his hand, which he quickly stuffed into his pocket. She reminded him to take his <em> sleeping medicine </em> carefully, because it might be stronger than he was used to - just one could knock her out on a good day, so two could easily leave Will blissed out. She also refused to accept any kind of payment from him, claiming that it was medicinal and paid for by her insurance, but Will didn’t know how much of that he believed. </p><p>The cabins each had free time for a few hours before lights out, so Will went off to hide in the infirmary before he could make good on his promise to Rachel. He did cheat, but only by a little bit, because he knew the edible would take a short while to kick in. So he took one about half an hour before lights out, then made himself busy by getting ready for bed. It was getting too hot in his un-air conditioned cabin to sleep in anything more than his boxers, and by the time he’d stripped down and sat on his bed, he could finally feel some sort of weightlessness settling into his limbs. </p><p>His brain shut down to any thoughts that weren’t <em> this feels good </em> and <em> maybe I should take another. </em> Before he could act, though, he found himself slipping away to unconsciousness, his mind remaining blank for longer than it had for the last two days. </p><p>He dreamed about friendship bracelets. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Will kept himself locked away in the infirmary for a few more days. He would go to the mess hall for meal times and table hop everywhere except for table thirteen. If anybody asked, he claimed that the infirmary needed cleaning and reorganizing, and since Nico had been the only one to catch him in his constant reorganizing during the first week of summer, nobody called him out on it. </p><p>When he’d actually run out of actual cleaning and organizing, he turned to the couple of medical textbooks he’d brought with him. He hadn’t had much time to read ever since he’d started joining the others during their activities, but now felt like the perfect time to catch up. He’d actually already read the textbooks - they were from his pre-med classes the year prior - but he wanted to keep everything fresh in his brain as best he could. Everyone else would be entering medical school with a real internship under their belts, so Will was already at a disadvantage. </p><p>However, when Hazel escorted a kid with a scraped knee into the infirmary and asked what Will was doing, he told her it was assigned summer reading. She looked like she bought it, but something told Will that she wasn’t happy about it.</p><p>“So that’s why you’re staying cooped up in here all the time?” Hazel asked, seemingly innocent, but Will wasn’t buying it. </p><p>“Yep,” he answered plainly, grabbing a first aid kit and a few boxes of bandaids, all with different designs. </p><p>“But you couldn’t have read it last session? Or over the weekend?” She was standing behind the injured camper, her weight shifted forward on her toes, her arms crossed over her chest, and head tilted to the side as she interrogated him. The stance was all too familiar to Will - he’d seen it plenty of times on Nico, though for the first time the position made him feel threatened. And he had to say, it was much cuter on Nico.</p><p>Will knelt down in front of the camper, pulling out an alcohol wipe and warning him that it would sting before he started to clean the scrape. He didn’t look up when he told Hazel, “I’ve been a little preoccupied.” </p><p><em> “Oh, </em>okay,” Hazel said, as if Will’s vague brush off had given her all the answers in the universe. “So now that you’re avoiding Nico, you have all the time in the world to sit around and read all day. Because that’s more fun.” </p><p>Will tensed, but chose to ignore her for a moment as he grabbed the boxes of bandaids and held them up for the camper, making sure he had his best smile in place. “I have all sorts of bandaids you can choose from, so pick your favorite. Or I can have Hazel choose, and it’ll be a surprise for both of us.” </p><p>“I want Spiderman!” the boy exclaimed.</p><p>“One Spiderman, coming right up,” Will told him, and popped open the box to fish a bandaid out. He applied a small amount of antibiotic ointment to the bandaid before placing it on the boy’s knee, then said, “You’re all set! Try to be more careful next time, okay?” </p><p>“Okay! Thank you!” The boy hopped up out of his chair and made for the door as Will started cleaning up the tiny mess he made.</p><p>He felt himself tense up again when Hazel spoke. “Hang on just a second, Robbie. I’ll be right out.” </p><p>Will tried to go about putting the boxes away, but Hazel stepped into his path. “I’m not--” </p><p>She held up a hand to silence him. “He thinks you’re upset with him, but he doesn’t know why. Whatever’s going on with you, don’t take it out on him. He’s been through enough.” </p><p>Without waiting for a reply, Hazel walked out the door.</p><p>Will really was messing everything up, huh?</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Will couldn’t get to sleep that night, too busy tossing and turning, and trying and failing to banish guilty thoughts from his mind. He wasn’t sure how long he stared up at the ceiling before he popped one of Rachel’s gummy bears into his mouth and let the drug relax his mind and body, but not quite enough. He ate another - the last one - and fell asleep shortly after, though no thanks to the second edible. </p><p>The nightmares, though? Those he could definitely attribute to the second edible. </p><p>There wasn’t anything solid in his dreams, just shapes and sounds and feelings that had him tossing and turning and waking up with a pounding heart. He remembered something that reminded him distinctly of Nico, but the memory filled him with dread. And then there was something that he thought might’ve been Hazel, something that clearly intended to eat him alive. </p><p>His nightmares woke him sometime before the camp’s morning alarm sounded. The sun had risen, though just barely. The sweat on Will’s body had cooled, making him start to shiver despite the warmth of the morning air. He got up out of bed and made his way to the bathroom attached to the infirmary. It didn’t have a shower - he’d have to go to the main bathhouse for that - but he could at least splash some water on his face. To wake him up, to wash that nightmare out of his head. </p><p>As good as it had felt to get high again after so long, to be able to let his mind go blank after it had been racing for days, he couldn’t keep hiding from his feelings. He’d spent the better part of the last few days locking himself away and pretending he hadn’t gotten his feelings hurt, but he knew that that wasn’t sustainable. </p><p>He grabbed some clothes and his shower bag, and went to the bathhouse. Under the spray of the shower, he let his thoughts run. He couldn’t keep tearing himself down for making a single mistake, and he couldn’t keep hiding. He wouldn’t know the true outcome of his conversation with Nico until they talked again, this time when they were both completely sober. Which also meant that Will couldn’t run to Rachel for more gummies. He needed to keep his head clear, and he needed to come up with some kind of plan of attack.</p><p>He needed coffee.</p><p>After his shower, he dropped his belongings off in his room off the infirmary, and went to the mess hall. As far as he could tell, he was still the only one awake - or at least the only one out of his cabin. He hadn’t heard the wake up alarm, but that could have just been because he was too lost in his thoughts under the loud spray of the shower. </p><p>He started the coffee maker. After he made a cup for himself, he set up the coffee maker so that the next pot could be made with a single click of a button. Will let the heat and smell wake up his senses before taking his first sip and allowing the caffeine to jumpstart his brain.</p><p>He had a lot to think about.</p><p> </p><p>Will waited until after breakfast before acting on anything. He didn’t want an audience, if it could be avoided, so he went back to the infirmary to check that session’s schedule. He was getting quicker at determining who was where and when, so once he figured that everyone had had enough time to get to their activities, he set out.</p><p>The arts and crafts tent was less crowded than he’d expected, and when he didn’t find Nico immediately, his anxiety level started to rise. He started into the tent, drifting toward Jason who was helping one of his campers with their art project - one of those paracord bracelets, if Will saw it right. </p><p>Jason raised an eyebrow at Will when he saw him. His guard was up, Will could tell that right away, but he somehow wasn’t as threatening as Hazel had come across. “What’s up?” Jason asked when Will approached. </p><p>“Um. I thought Nico would be here,” Will said, rubbing at the back of his neck. He could already feel the tension under his skin. “I mean, the schedule said he would be, so…?” </p><p>Jason slipped his hands into his pockets casually. “Yeah, he’s not coming. He told me at breakfast that he was going to give his cabin free time instead.” </p><p>“Oh.” Will’s heart sank. “So you don’t know where he is.” </p><p>Jason shrugged. “He’s around here somewhere, but that leaves you with five square miles to search for him if you’re really that desperate to find him.” </p><p>“Great,” Will said with a huff. “If he shows up, tell him I’m looking for him?” </p><p>Jason nodded, so Will turned to leave. Before he could take more than a few steps, though, Jason called out, “He’s not happy with you right now.”</p><p>Will sighed, feeling himself deflate. “Yeah. I know.”</p><p>He walked out, and returned to the infirmary.</p><p>He felt like his skin was crawling by the time he got inside, and not for the first time he regretted eating that last edible before bed. He’d really messed everything up, and his racing heart was going to keep reminding him about it until he passed out.</p><p>Will stumbled on his next step. He’d sabotaged his one and only chance at a relationship with Nico by pulling that stupid avoidance stunt, and he’d likely destroyed any friendships he’d made. Because of course everyone was going to side with Nico.</p><p>He couldn’t breathe. </p><p>He sat down, hard, in the middle of the infirmary. </p><p>He’d better get comfortable there, because nobody would want to see him at their activities for the rest of the summer. He’d have to sneak in and out of the mess hall whenever he wanted to eat. He’d be lucky if anybody even came in for a bandaid ever again. </p><p>Will was spiraling. </p><p>He put his head between his knees and tried to breathe. It wasn’t working. He lifted his head so quick that he got dizzy, or maybe that stemmed from the fact that he was hyperventilating. </p><p>Five things he could see around the room. </p><p>His mom had taught him to distract himself whenever he got like this, which meant--</p><p>Oh. He was having a panic attacked. </p><p>Three doors, two chairs, a window, the sink, and the cabinets. </p><p>Four things he could hear. Or was it feel? Which one came next? He couldn’t hear anything over the sound of his own heart pounding in his ears, so he went with feel. He balled his hands into fists, then straightened out his fingers. He could feel his hands, that was good. That meant he would be able to feel other things.</p><p>Four things he could feel… </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Will’s brain came back online a few hours after he’d finally stopped crying. Thankfully, there hadn’t been any medical emergencies, so he’d been left on his own for most of the day. Of course, he couldn’t help but feel a little sour when lunch came and passed and nobody even walkied to check in on him, but he tried not to let it bother him.</p><p>He’d overreacted. He knew that for a fact. All he needed to do was apologize, and since all of the counselors seemed to be reasonable people, they would understand and not hate him. Nico, though… Sure, Will could apologize, and they could go back to being...friends, or something like that, but would they ever have the chance at something more? </p><p>Will skipped out on dinner, too, partially because he was still a little bit nauseous after his panic attack - and he’d eaten a single granola bar that had been stuffed into his backpack somewhere between two months and a year ago - and he wasn’t quite ready to face Nico. So he waited until the campfire that night to finally leave the infirmary. </p><p>The sun had set behind the trees by the time Will was helping Leo start the fire, but it wasn’t until the sky had darkened considerably that the rest of the camp showed up. Cabin thirteen was of the last to arrive, and Will felt his heart kickstart again. </p><p>Nico was smiling and laughing like nothing was wrong, and if that didn’t just twist the knife in Will’s gut. Nico had made himself comfortable seated beside Reyna before Will finally got up the courage to talk to him. Part of him felt like Nico didn’t even have any idea that he was there, but the rest of him knew that Nico couldn’t possibly avoid looking at him so perfectly just by chance. </p><p>Will crossed the circle and crouched down beside Nico, clearing his throat both to rid himself of some of his nerves and to get Nico to finally look at him. He looked like he was trying to appear indifferent, but there was hurt behind his eyes that felt to Will like a slap in the face.</p><p>“Hey,” Will said, his voice just above a whisper. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” </p><p>Nico’s brows shot up in surprise, and he looked away as if searching for some excuse not to go with Will, but when his lips finally parted, what he said was, “Yeah, okay. But it better be quick.”</p><p>Nico stood from his seat, said a quick <em> be right back </em> to Reyna, and left the circle, not waiting for Will to stumble to his feet behind him. Nico stopped a short distance away from the crowd, far enough that they wouldn’t have to shout and nobody would overhear. He turned on his heel and faced Will with crossed arms and a pained frown. As upset as Will knew he was, Nico still looked beautiful in the dark, with only the distant campfire off to one side and the camp’s dim emergency light on the other to illuminate him. </p><p>Then, Will remembered that he had to speak, and his heart set off again. Nico was only going to wait patiently for so long. Actually, his patience had probably already run out. </p><p>“I wanted to apologize,” Will started, his eyes flickering back and forth between Nico’s eyes and his own shoes. “I’m sorry if it seemed like I was avoiding you, because I didn’t mean for it to come off that way.” </p><p>Nico’s hurt melted away to confusion in the blink of an eye, and it suddenly looked less like he had his arms crossed and more like he was holding himself. “Oh,” he said, his voice almost a whisper, and then louder, “I mean, yeah. It kind of came off that way. Did I...do something?” </p><p>Will couldn’t get his gaze to lift off his shoes. “Uh, no… Not...really?”</p><p>Nico huffed, and that finally got Will to look up. His head was turned toward the center of camp, but even in the darkness Will could see that he was glaring. “Okay, fine, so I <em> did </em> do something. And, what? You’re just not going to tell me?” </p><p>“No, that’s not-- You were <em> drunk, </em> so it’s not like it meant anything!” Oh <em> god, </em> this was not going the way he’d hoped. </p><p>Nico’s eyes snapped back to him, and Will saw a spark of something like fear in them. “Did I do something while I was drunk?” </p><p>“No!” Will said frantically. “No, you didn’t, I promise!” </p><p>Nico threw his arms out in exasperation. “You’re not making any <em> sense, </em> Will! Just tell me what happened!” </p><p>“It’s <em> stupid!” </em> Will shouted, and flinched at the volume of his own voice. He got himself under control again before he continued, “It’s stupid that I’m upset about it, but it’s not like you had the intention of blacking out and forgetting what we talked about.” </p><p>“How do you even know I forgot?” Nico asked, and thankfully it sounded like he was starting to cool down as well. “You haven’t spoken to me all week.” </p><p>“You told me yourself. The last thing you remembered was Piper forcing you to feel how smooth her legs were,” Will reminded him, dropping his gaze to the ground once again. “We talked after that.” </p><p>“Okay, so jog my memory.” </p><p>“I--” Will tensed. He took a deep breath, and when he exhaled, he shook his head. </p><p>Nico’s had closed around Will’s wrist, and he almost flinched away in surprise at the feeling. “I’m sorry for hurting your feelings,” he said, his voice softer than Will ever expected to hear again. “Was it something important? You can tell me again, and this time I can promise that I won’t forget it.” </p><p>His fingers started to tangle with Will’s, and Will squeezed them in response. “It’s...not really something I have the courage to say out loud again.” </p><p>“Oh.” </p><p>Nico’s hand went limp in his, so Will released it. Then when he raised his eyes, he realized that Nico’s whole body appeared to have deflated. </p><p>This...was <em> not </em> how this was supposed to go.</p><p>There was some kind of tension between them, like they were both waiting for the other to speak first, but they both had something on the tip of their tongue. Eventually, when the uncomfortable silence between them stretched on for just a moment too long, Will sighed and said, “Can we just...go back to how things were? No more dumb hurt feelings, and no more avoiding anybody, and we can just go back to being…”</p><p>Nico met his gaze, but all emotion had been wiped from his face. He was back to hugging himself, his weight shifted back on his heels like he was waiting for the first opportunity to turn and run. “Friends?” he whispered, but the word sounded hollow, and Will’s heart sank. </p><p>What was Will supposed to say? <em> No, not friends, because that’s not what we were, </em> when they had never been anything more than that? So Will tried to smile. If anything, <em> friends </em> was better than the alternative, right? </p><p>“Yeah,” Will croaked, his smile surely coming off as more of a grimace, “friends.” </p><p>Nico’s eyes fell and he started to nod, but the movement was too fast to seem like a genuine agreement. He took a half step back. “Okay. Great. I’m gonna--”</p><p>He turned and walked back to the campfire.</p><p>Why did Will feel like he’d just gone through a breakup? </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Things had decisively <em> not </em> gone back to normal. If anything, things felt even more uncomfortable between the two of them, but Will was desperate to power through. He didn’t go out of his way to follow Nico to every activity, and he continued to table hop during mealtimes, but he smiled and waved whenever he saw Nico, and he was pointedly <em> not </em> avoiding him. </p><p>Nico, though, kind of looked like he wanted to lock himself up in cabin eight and never come out. And every pained smile he offered back to Will felt like another crack in their shattered friendship. Will was doing everything he could to put the pieces back together without accidentally breaking things even more, but they would only continue to fall apart until one of them brought out the superglue. </p><p>Will had maybe been spending too much time in the arts and crafts tent. </p><p>He had asked if he could tag along to whatever activity Nico was going to that afternoon, and while Nico hadn’t looked overly excited, his smile had at least appeared genuine when he said that he would walkie Will after lunch to let him know where he’d be. </p><p>Will had gone back to the infirmary before the official end of lunch, preparing a few first aid kits to go since he likely wouldn’t be back in the infirmary for a short while. When he stepped back outside, he saw darkening clouds on the horizon - a storm was rolling in. But nobody had made any emergency announcements yet, so Will assumed it would blow over. </p><p>He’d just made it to the entrance of the arts and crafts tent when he saw Percy run up to the emergency alert system at the center of camp. Will stayed outside to watch, despite knowing that he would be able to hear just fine from inside the tent. </p><p>“Hey, campers!” Percy’s voice came through the loudspeakers, projecting through the entire camp. Will wondered for the first time if it would reach all the way to the lake, or to Reyna’s wilderness survival group. “We have some storm clouds coming in fast, which means that this afternoon’s activities are canceled until further notice. Counselors, it’s time to bring everybody back to the mess hall for extended arts and crafts.”</p><p>Just when Percy finished his announcement, somebody came barreling out of the arts and crafts tent - a junior, if the purple shirt was anything to go by - and collided with Will. She nearly dropped the craft bins she was carrying, but Will helped to right her, and then she was on her way. </p><p>He stepped into the tent and found Rachel first. “Is there anything I can help with?” he asked, jumping out of the way of another junior, also loaded down with supply boxes. </p><p>“If you could help carry stuff over to the mess hall, that would be great,” Rachel told him with a smile. “I’ve gotta start wrangling kids. Thanks, Will!” </p><p>She patted him on the shoulder and then called out for the campers’ attention, instructing them to follow her back to the mess hall. Will got to work grabbing bins. </p><p>Once the last of the crafting supplies had been brought into the mess hall, Will went to find Annabeth to see how else he could help. She looked nervous, which wasn’t an expression Will had ever seen on her, and it set him slightly on edge as well. </p><p>“Hey, Annabeth, how can I help?” Will asked as gently as he could, as if trying not to spook a frightened animal. </p><p>Annabeth stared at him for a second as if trying to remember who he was, or what his role was at camp, and then finally said, “Stock up a few first aid kits and bring them in here, just in case.” </p><p>Will dropped one strap of his backpack and swung it around to his front. He unzipped the main pocket in one smooth motion and revealed the kits inside. “One step ahead of you. Anything else?” </p><p>She appeared to be lost in thought again, and before she could give him another direction, Reyna rushed over with her walkie in hand. </p><p>“He’s not answering,” Reyna told Annabeth frantically. “I tried both channels, but he’s not clicking back or anything.” </p><p>Thunder rumbled overhead, and both women flinched.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” Will asked before his brain could catch up to what Reyna had said. <em> Both channels, clicking, did she mean…? </em> “Is something wrong with Nico?” </p><p>The two counselors exchanged a worried glance. Annabeth said to Reyna, “Keep trying,” and then turned to Will. “He’s afraid of thunderstorms. Like, <em> really </em> afraid of them. And nobody knows where he is. I’d go look for him myself, but--” </p><p>“You’ve got a camp to run,” Will finished for her. “I’ll go. He couldn’t have gotten far after lunch, and I’ll bring him right back here as soon as I find him.” He removed his backpack entirely and held it out to her. “Take this. I’ll be back as fast as I can.” </p><p>She nodded once, accepting the bag. “Thank you. Check his cabin first, and cabin eight. And he might have switched his walkie to channel three instead of channel one.”</p><p>“Got it.”</p><p>With a final nod, Will took off at a jog. The sky outside had darkened considerably. The rain had barely started to fall, and the rumbling thunder remained somewhat distant, but still he hurried. He ran to cabin thirteen, not bothering to knock before bursting inside. He called out for Nico, looked in corners and under beds, but the cabin was empty. He did the same in cabin eight, to no avail. </p><p>Will went back outside, taking a second to look around and see where else Nico might have gone, and the sky opened up. </p><p>The rain fell in sheets, making it difficult for Will to see where he was going as he ran toward shelter, heading toward the infirmary. He had to keep looking, but he wouldn’t be of any use if he couldn’t see. He had a rain jacket in his room, and a flashlight and maybe even an umbrella, so after a quick detour he would continue on his search.</p><p>He just hadn’t expected to find somebody curled up against the back wall of the infirmary when he burst inside. </p><p>Will raced forward and dropped to his knees, sliding a bit on the tile until he came to a stop with his hands on the other’s shoulders. “Nico, it’s okay. You’re okay, it’s just me.” </p><p>Nico’s head lifted off his knees, and he met Will’s eyes. There was something in them that Will had never seen - fear, of course, but some kind of surprise as well, and maybe...something else, too.</p><p>“Are you okay?” Will asked, one hand rising up from Nico’s shoulder to brush against his cheek instead. “Are you hurt at all?” </p><p>Nico shook his head, but WIll couldn’t help but feel like he was leaning into the touch. “I’m okay, just a little freaked out.” </p><p>Will exhaled and offered Nico a smile. “You know, you really had Annabeth and Reyna worried when they couldn’t find you.”</p><p>Nico dropped his gaze and leaned heavier against Will’s hand. “Sorry.” </p><p>“That’s okay. I’m just glad I found you.” Will stroked his thumb across Nico’s cheek. “You had me pretty worried, too.” </p><p>Nico’s eyes flickered up once more. “Oh.” The sound was barely audible. If Will hadn’t been close enough to see his lips move, to feel the puff of breath on his face, then he might have mistaken it for something else entirely. </p><p>“I promised Annabeth I’d bring you back to the mess hall,” Will told him. “Is that okay? It’s really pouring out there, but the thunder is holding off so far.”</p><p>Nico nodded. “Yeah, but we should hurry.” </p><p>“I can find a raincoat for you, if you want?”</p><p>“No, I’d rather we just run for it,” Nico told him, dropping his legs so that he sat criss-cross on the floor. “If that’s okay.” </p><p>“Yeah, let me just…” Will reached for his walkie with the hand that had been resting on Nico’s cheek, making sure it was still set to channel one before he spoke into it. “Hey, Annabeth, I found him. We’re heading back right--”</p><p>Lightning crackled to life somewhere outside the window, illuminating the room and causing Nico to flinch. Thunder boomed not two seconds later, and Nico collapsed forward against Will’s chest, clutching at Will’s sleeve and using Will’s body to shield him from the storm outside. </p><p>Will squeaked when Nico tugged him forward, and the hand that had been on his shoulder slid around his back to hold him close. “Uh, scratch that! We’re going to hang out here until the storm passes.” As soon as he was done speaking, Will set the walkie aside and wound his other arm around Nico, smoothing his hand up and down Nico’s back. “It’s okay,” he whispered, “I’ve got you.” </p><p>Nico took a deep, shaky breath, and lifted his head. “Sorry, I’m okay.” </p><p>Will started to lean back, pulling his arms away, but Nico’s fingers tightened on his shirt. “Hey, it’s okay, I’m not going anywhere. Just let me get comfortable, okay?” </p><p>A few seconds passed before Nico’s grip loosened, and he nodded a few times quickly. Will moved to sit beside him, wincing as he straightened out his knees. Once he was settled beside Nico, pressed together shoulder to shoulder, Will reached for his hand and intertwined their fingers. </p><p>“Do you want to talk about it?” Will asked softly, stroking his thumb across the back of Nico’s hand. </p><p>Nico’s head dropped onto his shoulder. “About what?” </p><p>“The storm.” Will pressed his nose into Nico’s hair. He smelled like rain, or maybe that was the lingering water that was still soaked into Will’s own clothes. “I’ve heard that talking about your fears can take their power away. I’d be happy to listen, if you wanted to talk.” </p><p>Nico squeezed his hand. He didn’t speak right away, and it had been long enough that Will wasn’t expecting him to say anything at all. “Something bad always happens during a thunderstorm.” </p><p>Will frowned. “What do you mean?” </p><p>Nico drew his knees up to his chest again. “My mother died in a thunderstorm. I don’t… I don’t really know many of the details, but I remember the thunderstorm.” </p><p>“I’m so sorry,” Will whispered into his hair. </p><p>“And the last time I talked to my sister was during a thunderstorm,” he croaked, tightening his hold on Will’s hand. “She knew how much I hated them, so she would call me and talk to me until it was over, so I didn’t have to think about--” He pressed himself impossible closer to Will’s side. “Can you talk to me? Help me get my mind off all the bad things? Please?” </p><p>“Of course. What do you want me to talk about?” </p><p>Nico lifted his head, his nose brushing against Will’s jaw as he tipped his head back and met Will’s eyes. “Help me like thunderstorms again?” </p><p>Will’s mind flashed back to the bonfire from just over a week ago. Nico had gazed up at him with some sort of desperation in his eyes then just as he did now, but this… There was something different about it, this time. Still, Will felt the same urge to close that tiny space between them, and--</p><p>“I can do that,” Will whispered, and Nico gazed at him for a second longer before resting his head back on Will’s shoulder. He tipped his own head to lay against Nico’s as he hummed in thought. “Let’s see… Thunder isn’t really good for anything except for, like, jumpscares, essentially. It is, inarguable, the worst part of a thunderstorm.”</p><p>Nico started tracing the lines of Will’s fingers with his opposite hand, and for a second, Will lost his train of thought. </p><p>“Lightning is...only marginally better. It’s unpredictable, and bright, and it’s what causes the thunder, so that’s horrible. But sometimes, the way it can light everything up like daylight in the dead of night is <em> amazing. </em> It’s like the sky is taking a picture. You can see everything around you, but just for a split second, and then it’s all dark again. And it almost seems like everything shows up in black and white when lightning flashes, have you ever noticed that?”</p><p>Nico’s head shook gently. “No, I haven’t.” </p><p>“I went on this camping trip once when I was in high school,” Will told him, his free hand moving to cover Nico’s where it laid over their joined hands, and his fingers started to play with the beads of his friendship bracelet. He twisted the beads around until he saw his own name staring up at him, and he pressed his smile into the top of Nico’s head. “We were all in tents, and the only real shelter we had nearby was the cars we drove there in. I could hear the thunder in my sleep, and then one of my friends shook me awake. There was a severe storm warning, he told me, and we had to take shelter.</p><p>“All of my friends ran out to the cars to hide out and try to go back to sleep, but when I got out of my tent, I just stood there. The rain hadn’t started yet, but there was this electricity in the air, like at any second everything was going to come alive around me. I looked up, and the sky was totally black, and then the lightning started. Not the kind that struck the ground, but just the ones that jumped from cloud to cloud. Every couple of seconds, it was like daylight, like I was surrounded on all sides by lightning that was never going to strike me. And everywhere around me, it was like the color had faded from the world. Our tents were all in shades of gray, and the red checkered tablecloth that blew away in the storm was dull and colorless. </p><p>“By the time it started to rain, the lightning was so bright and so frequent that I didn’t even need a flashlight to help me find my car. It was a lot like today, actually. Some distant thunder with a few flashes of lightning, then a light trickle of rain before the sky opened up. Except this lightning is <em> nothing </em>compared to what I saw that night - that was truly one of the most amazing things I’d ever seen.”</p><p>“What about the rain?” Nico mumbled against Will’s shoulder. “In a thunderstorm, what’s so good about the rain?”</p><p>Will grinned. “I <em> love </em> the rain.”</p><p>“Really?” Nico asked, and Will could hear the smile returning to his voice. He considered it his first step toward victory. “You, Mr. Sunshine himself, <em> you </em> love the rain?”</p><p>“What’s not to love?” Will shot back. “Clearly you don’t mind it all that much yourself, considering the way you’re hanging off of me while my clothes are completely soaked through.”</p><p>Nico pinched the skin on the inside of Will’s elbow, hard enough to sting. “Tell me about the rain, William.” </p><p>“Ow, fine! Geez,” Will exclaimed through his laughter. He tipped his head back against the wall as he tried to think. “Well, there’s good and bad, of course, but everybody has to like the rain for something.” </p><p>“Oh, do they?” Nico teased. </p><p>“Nobody can survive the sun all the time,” Will told him. “And it’d be impossible to grow any kind of plants if they had the sun beating down on them all day, every day. The rain gives us all a nice break. It lets us be lazy for a day, because nobody wants to go out and do things when it’s rainy. Or maybe it’s the perfect time to go splashing around in puddles. Personally, I think the rain is kind of romantic.”</p><p>Nico’s grip tightened on Will’s hand, almost imperceptibly, and probably unintentionally. “Why’s that?”</p><p>Will hummed. “I dunno. Probably just rom-coms poisoning my brain, or something. I mean, I don’t want to be standing in the middle of a torrential downpour when somebody confesses their love for me, but… There’s something special that rain just adds to the ambiance. It’s...comforting to me, I guess.</p><p>“Think of it like this: imagine you’re on a date, like a stay-at-home date. You have a home cooked meal, there are a few candles burning, maybe there’s some soft music playing in the background. Now imagine all of that, but you can hear the rain tapping against the window or on the roof, or you can see it outside. Doesn’t it just...add <em> something </em>to it? Or is that just me?” </p><p>Nico didn’t respond right away. “No, I think I get it.”</p><p>They listened to the rain <em> tap, tap, tapping </em> against the window over their heads, and then Wil started speaking before his brain had even thought of what to say. </p><p>“Can I ask you a question?” </p><p>Nico lifted his head and sat up a little straighter, though he didn’t move his hands away from Will’s. “What?” </p><p>“Why come here?” Will asked, his gaze flickering between Nico’s eyes. There were tiny flecks of gold in them - how had Will not noticed them before? “I mean, you should’ve known that all of your friends would be in the mess hall, right? Because that’s protocol. And they probably know better than anyone how to help you with something like this, so...why come here?” </p><p>Nico’s lip was caught between his teeth, and he chewed on it nervously. When he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper, but Will was more than close enough to hear every sound he made. “I thought you would be here.” </p><p>Oh.</p><p>“Oh.” </p><p>
  <em> Oh. </em>
</p><p>“Will?” </p><p>Nico was chewing on his lip again, and Will really needed him to stop doing that because it was <em> distracting, </em> but then again--</p><p>Will lifted his hand again, his fingers gracing Nico’s cheek and his thumb brushing against Nico’s lips just enough for his mouth to fall open the tiniest bit. And then he couldn’t help himself any longer. </p><p>Nico’s lips were chapped against his, and he let out this sigh that had Will’s heart melting in his chest. Their noses bumped once, twice, so Will tilted his head just so, and Nico’s mouth fell open against his. </p><p>Will couldn’t remember the last time he’d heard thunder when the two finally separated, chests heaving, Nico’s hand fisted in the front of Will’s shirt and Will’s fingers tangled in Nico’s hair. Will pressed his forehead against Nico’s, unwilling to let himself go without being as close to Nico as possible for even a second, even if all they could do was stare at each other with wide eyes. </p><p>Nico moved first. He released his hold on Will’s shirt and shoved roughly at his shoulder, exclaiming, “You said you wanted to be <em> friends!” </em></p><p>Will spluttered. “Because I thought that’s what <em> you </em> wanted!” </p><p>“I’ve been flirting with you for a <em> month, </em> you <em> idiot. </em> I’ve been waiting for you to ask me out this entire time!”</p><p>“Well, <em> I’ve </em> been waiting for you to ask <em> me </em> out!”</p><p>Their hands were still tangled between them. Will snorted, and quickly slapped a hand over his mouth, and Nico started to giggle. He tipped forward, hiding his face in Will’s chest as his giggles turned to full blown laughter, and Will was right alongside him.</p><p>“I’m sorry that I’m such an idiot,” Will told him once his laughter had started to subside. </p><p>Nico tipped his head back against the wall, rolling it to the side to meet Will’s gaze. “You’re not an idiot.” </p><p>Will rolled his eyes. “I can’t even read a <em> map.” </em></p><p>Nico grinned. “Fine. You’re an idiot.” </p><p>“Well you don’t have to agree so quickly,” Will said with a pout. Nico kissed it away, until it was replaced by a dopey smile. “Seriously, though, I really am sorry.” </p><p>“You don’t need to be,” Nico assured him, running his fingers along the line of Will’s jaw.</p><p>“I think I do,” Will whispered. “Remember how I told you about that conversation we had that you forgot about?” Nico nodded, his smile turning neutral, though Will could see the worry settling into his gaze. He pressed a kiss to the inside of Nico’s wrist in an attempt to fight it off. “I may have, <em> hypothetically, </em>asked you on a date. That’s why I was so upset when you didn’t remember.” </p><p>“Oh. Oh, god, Will, I’m <em> so </em> sorry I didn’t remember.” He shifted closer until he could press their foreheads together again, and asked, “Well, do you think you found your courage again?” </p><p>It took Will longer than it probably should have to remember their conversation from that weekend’s bonfire, but when he did, his face broke out into another grin. “Maybe I did. So, hypothetically, what would you say if I asked you out right now?” </p><p>Nico raised an eyebrow. “Just <em> hypothetically?” </em> </p><p>“The date’s real,” Will promised him. “The <em> asking </em> is the hypothetical part.”</p><p>Nico puffed out the tiniest laugh, and the look in his eyes had Will’s heart <em> aching. </em> “Well, then, hypothetically, I’d say, <em> took you long enough.” </em> </p><p>He kissed Will again, and Will would swear that his heart stopped and jolted back to life in the same second. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>While the thunderstorms passed, the rain didn’t stop for another few days, which meant that the outdoor activities were all canceled until the sun returned. Frank had seemed the most upset by the news, since he’d been trying to get the archery range up and running again that week, but the campers themselves didn’t seem to mind all that much. </p><p>The counselors had done their job to keep everyone entertained, meaning that the arts and crafts supplies had been returned to the tent, and about half of the mess hall had been reconfigured into a makeshift obstacle course. At one point, Will had caught Nico telling ghost stories to a small collection of campers. Piper had another circle of campers across the room, and was leading them in different games. Percy, Jason and Reyna were tucked away in a corner, making plans for a few larger full-camp games if the rain kept up. </p><p>When the end of session game of capture the flag was canceled, they replaced it with a sketch show, written and performed by the campers themselves. They’d all spent an hour or so locked away in their cabins after lunch before reconvening in the mess hall to perform. </p><p>Will sat beside Nico at table thirteen while the other cabins performed, and Nico reached over to link their hands under the table. Will couldn’t help but wish they could do this every session.</p><p>After each of the campers were picked up, the juniors started to head out as well. Will noticed that Hazel had started saying her goodbyes, and it struck Will as odd to see her go. She’d only been with them for a month, and yet she felt like she should have been a permanent fixture at camp with the rest of them. </p><p>She pulled him into a hug, tugging him down until she could whisper in his ear, “Don’t you dare break his heart,” and then pulled away with her usual sunshiny smile still on her face in full force. Hazel went to hug Nico next, and Will watched as she whispered something to him as well, but Nico simply rolled his eyes at her before pressing a kiss to her cheek. </p><p>As Hazel drove off, Nico took Will’s hand and pulled him off to the side, away from the rest of the lingering counselors - the rain had stopped long enough for the campers to be picked up, but Will had a feeling it would start again any moment. Nico took him around the side of the mess hall, and they had to press close to each other in order to squeeze under the awning. </p><p>“So,” Nico said, drawing out the word.</p><p>Will trailed his fingers up and down Nico’s arm lightly. “Hmm?” </p><p>“Hazel threatened you, didn’t she?” </p><p>Will snorted and dropped his forehead against Nico’s. “Yeah, she did. Nothing bad, though, I promise. Why, did she say something to you, too?” </p><p>“She told me that if I mess this up, then she’ll fly back here just to kick my ass,” Nico told him. “Apparently it’s part of the contract she signed when she became my annoying little sister.” </p><p>Will opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, Piper’s voice came through their walkies and announced, “di Angelo, quit making out with your boyfriend and get your ass inside. We’re playing Mafia, and you’re narrating!”</p><p>Nico’s cheeks had earned a light dusting of pink and his eyes had gone wide at Piper’s words, and Will kind of wanted to laugh but he was sure he looked the same. </p><p>“We probably shouldn’t keep them waiting,” Will said, trying and failing to fight off the smile on his lips. </p><p>Nico hummed, slipping a hand around the back of Will’s neck and letting his fingers <em> tap, tap, tap </em> against his skin. “But if we were <em> really </em> making out back here, then wouldn’t we need some extra time to...compose ourselves?” </p><p>Will grinned. “Then what are you suggesting?” </p><p>Nico rolled his eyes. “I’m suggesting you <em> kiss me, </em> asshole,” he grumbled, and pulled Will down to him. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Leave it to Mother Nature to start cooperating once the camp had emptied out, bringing back the sun and the heat to full force that weekend. The counselors weren’t complaining, of course, because even they had had their fill of being cooped up inside. </p><p>They’d gone down to the beach to get the most out of the day, numbering off into even teams for volleyball, though Nico volunteered to sit out and act as referee. When it was quickly established that Annabeth and Piper were the only ones with any sort of skill in the game, they switched to Nuke ‘Em instead, which left Will with a thin coat of sand over his entire body. And possibly a few new bruises, too.</p><p>Nico, of course, was a horrible ref. He didn’t bother weighing in whenever somebody argued whether they were in or out, and had spent most of the game watching Will. Which Will only knew because he, too, had spent more than his fair share of time with his eyes drifting toward the sidelines. His lack of focus had him knocked out of the game more than once each round, but that just gave him the opportunity to sit beside Nico in the sand. </p><p>Will bumped his shoulder with Nico as he sat down next to him for the fifth time since they’d switched games. “Hey,” he said, just as he had every time before.</p><p>“You have sand in your hair,” Nico replied, which was new. </p><p>“Do I?” Will asked. He brushed a hand through his hair, sending sand floating back down to the earth and causing Nico to lean away from him. Will made a split second decision and quickly ruffled his hair, moving closer as he did so, and let the sand sprinkle all over Nico.</p><p>“Solace, I’ll <em> kill you!” </em> Nico shrieked, shoving a hand against Will’s face to push him away. </p><p>Will laughed and dropped his hand from his hair, using it instead to pull Nico’s hand off of his face. He pressed a kiss to Nico’s fingers and said, “Okay, fine, I’ll stop.” </p><p>“You should take a shower,” Nico said, his nose scrunching up as he eyed the sand clinging to Will’s arms and chest. </p><p>“Rude,” Will replied. </p><p>“And then--” Nico cut himself off, like his brain had caught up to his mouth to stop him from saying something that he shouldn’t. “You should come into town with me.”</p><p>Will’s heart fluttered in his chest. Was this Nico’s way of asking him on a date? “Okay, sure.” </p><p>“I just think that we should talk about-- Wait, did you say <em> sure?” </em></p><p>“Did you think I would say no?” Will drew Nico’s hand in close again and kissed his palm. “Like I would ever say no to spending some time alone with you.” </p><p>“Do you…” Nico took a deep breath, and Will squeezed his hand. “Do you want to go on a date with me tonight?”</p><p>“Yeah, I do,” Will told him with a smile so big it was starting to hurt his cheeks. “What did you want to do on this date?” </p><p>Nico froze. “I, uh. I don’t know. Is there something that you wanted to do?”</p><p>Will let himself think about it for a moment. “Well, there’s only so much of town that I’ve seen so far, so it would seem to me that our options are dinner, harassing that guy at the liquor store, or hanging out at the laundromat.” He felt his nose scrunch up as he remembered something. “Actually, I do kind of need to do laundry. Would that make for a shitty first date? Doing laundry together?” </p><p>Nico shook his head. “No, I think that would be nice. And if it is shitty, we can pretend that part didn’t happen, and when I take you out for dinner, we can just call that part of it the real date.”</p><p>Will’s heart skipped a beat. “Such a gentleman.” </p><p>“But seriously, you’re gonna have to wash all that sand off, or else I’m not letting you into my car.” </p><p>Will shot him a grin. “Then we’ll just have to take mine.” </p><p> </p><p>They were alone in the laundromat as they loaded up their machines, keeping conversation to a minimum until the two of them could really focus on each other. Nico shut the lid to his washer, started the machine, and hopped up to sit on top of it, kicking his legs gently while he waited for Will to finish up as well. </p><p>As Will’s washer rumbled to life, he turned toward Nico, leaning his hip against his machine. “So,” Will said, his head tipping to the side, and one hand reaching toward Nico’s. </p><p>Nico met him halfway, lacing his fingers with Will’s and letting their hands drop to rest beside Nico’s thigh. “So,” Nico repeated. </p><p>“You said you wanted to talk,” Will reminded him, keeping his voice gentle. </p><p>Nico nodded, and kept his gaze locked on their linked hands. After a few seconds, he said, “I like you.” Nico glanced up to see Will smiling softly, and Nico huffed. “This is where you’re supposed to tell me you like me, too.” </p><p>“Of course. I was just waiting for you to continue. I didn’t want to interrupt, or anything.” Will leaned in closer and whispered, “I like you, too.”</p><p>Nico smiled back, but his gaze still fell. “What are you...expecting from this?” </p><p>Will frowned. He hadn’t thought much about it - he liked Nico and he wanted to be in a relationship with him. What more did he have to say? “I, uh. I mean, I want to date you. I kind of thought that was obvious.” </p><p>“Right, yeah,” Nico said, nodding his head, though Will could see that his brow had furrowed, giving Will the idea that he’d misunderstood. “But...what happens next month? Summer’s almost over, which means we’re both going back to school-- You’re starting <em> medical school. </em> I want a relationship with you, but I’ve never done the long distance thing before. What happens when suddenly I <em> don’t </em> get to see you every day?”</p><p>“We’ll have phones in the real world,” Will said. “Yeah, it’s gonna suck when we have to leave this little bubble we’re in, but just because we’re leaving doesn’t mean this has to end. I don’t <em> want </em> this to end. I haven’t done long distance before, either, but if we both want this to work, then it’ll work. We can figure it out as we go.”</p><p>Nico glanced up at him again, and Will reached out to brush his fingers along Nico’s jaw, tilting his head up even more. “Nico,” Will said softly, “will you do me the honor of going on a <em> real </em> date with me?” </p><p>Nico scrunched up his nose. “I dunno, my schedule’s pretty full right now. You see, I’m kind of on a pre-date with this guy I like right now.” </p><p>Will hummed. “Yeah, mine is too, now that I think of it. But, you know, we’re both gonna be stuck in this laundromat for the next hour at least, so depending on how that pre-date goes…” </p><p><em> “That’s </em> your idea of a first date?” Nico asked, playing along. “Huh. Maybe I should reconsider this whole relationship thing…” </p><p>Will pouted and dropped his hand, gesturing toward the door instead. “I was gonna ask if you wanted to go next door for dinner! You <em> did </em> offer to pay, if I remember correctly, and I’m not about to let you forget that.”</p><p>Nico grinned, reaching out for Will’s hand and twisting their fingers together until Nico could pull him close by both hands, guiding Will to stand between his knees. “I wouldn’t mind just staying here for a while. We could talk more? And then maybe we could get dinner afterwards?”</p><p>“I would love that,” Will replied, and swayed forward to land a kiss on the corner of Nico’s lips. “Did you have something else in mind?” </p><p>Nico freed his hands from Will’s and trailed his fingers up Will’s arms and to his shoulders, leaving Will’s hands to drop to Nico’s thighs. “There was <em> one </em>thing,” Nico said. </p><p>“Hmm?” </p><p>“You have a tattoo.” Nico’s right hand trailed down from Will’s shoulder, following the neckline of the tanktop he’d thrown on after his shower and pulling it slightly to the side, revealing the golden sun inked over Will’s heart. “You, William ‘Goody-Two-Shoes’ Solace, do not seem like the type to have a tattoo.” </p><p>Will chuckled, stroking his thumbs across the tops of Nico’s thighs. “Again with the <em> William--” </em></p><p>Nico poked Will in the chest, in the center of the sun’s circular base. “Tell me about your tattoo, <em> William.” </em></p><p>“Alright, alright,” Will laughed, waving Nico’s hand away to stop his prodding finger. “I got it when I was sixteen, right after I came out to my mom. She accepted me for who I am, but she told me that she didn’t want me to start on hormone therapy until she had the time to really look into it - though now that I’m saying it out loud, I think she just wanted to make sure I knew what I wanted. So, because I couldn’t start HRT, she asked if there was anything else she could do to help me transition, and I asked for a tattoo. I wanted a reminder that no matter how dark it gets, the sun will always come out, and things will always get better. And it’s on my chest because I knew that someday, I’d finally be able to show it off.” He took a step back and raised his arms, doing a little twirl before returning to his place. “And here I am.” </p><p>Nico laid his arms over Will’s shoulders once more, one hand going toward Will’s hair to play with the short curls on the back of his head as he watched Will with an unrecognizable emotion filling his eyes. It was a mixture of things; maybe pride, maybe happiness, maybe even the beginnings of love. Nico’s head tipped to the side as though in thought. “Yeah, okay. I guess that’s a pretty good reason.” </p><p>Will laughed and knocked his forehead against Nico’s. “And, you know, while we’re on the subject… My name isn’t William.” </p><p>Nico shook his head. “I still don’t believe you.” </p><p>“I’m serious!” Will reached into his pocket and brought out his wallet, then took out his driver’s license, holding it out for Nico who took it with careful hands. </p><p>He raised the ID to his face with a frown. “Your name is <em> Will Solace.” </em></p><p>“Yes.” </p><p>“It’s just <em> Will,” </em> Nico continued. “You don’t even have a middle name?” </p><p>Will shook his head. </p><p>“You got to choose your own name and you didn’t even have a second choice?”</p><p>Will barked out a laugh, and took his license back to put away. “I hadn’t thought of it like that. And, uh, no. So, the thing is, I was in kind of a hurry when I was filling out the forms. My first thought was <em> I should write William, </em> because that’s, like, a real legal name that people have. And then I thought, <em> Nobody’s ever going to call me William, so why bother? </em> So I just wrote Will, and didn’t really think about it any more than that. And I hadn’t put any thought at all into a middle name, so I ended up just leaving that field blank.”</p><p>As Will slipped his wallet back into his pocket, Nico reached out and took Will’s chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilting Will’s head this way and that as he inspected him with narrowed eyes. “Andrew,” he said after a moment.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“William Andrew Solace.” Nico shrugged, and leaned back on his hands. “You know, if you ever decide to change your name again, or add onto it. I think that suits you.” </p><p>“And why’s that?” Will asked. He placed his hands on Nico’s thighs again and leaned in, following Nico back.</p><p>Nico hummed an <em> I dunno. </em> “Just feels right. The two sound good together, and it gives you a good mix of, like, nerdy and edgy.”</p><p>Will snorted. “You think <em> Andrew </em> is edgy?” </p><p>“I said a mix! William and Andrew are the kids you cheat off of in math class, but Will and Andy sound more like the type to break a few rules here and there.” </p><p>“A-ha! So I <em> don’t </em> need any added edge, because you just admitted that I’m edgy enough on my own!” </p><p>Nico cupped Will’s cheek in his hand and said, “I’m so sorry, but you’re very much a William type.” </p><p>Will frowned, struggling to think of a quick comeback, when something else popped into his mind instead. “You know, speaking of <em> types, </em> I remember a very interesting conversation from about a month ago.”</p><p>Nico’s eyes widened, telling Will that he knew <em> exactly </em> what Will was talking about, but that he wasn’t going to let any information slip easily. “Oh?” </p><p>“I think it was Percy that said something about you having a type?” Will asked innocently. “So, I guess I’m just wondering how well I might fit into that type.” </p><p>“You...might,” Nico said. </p><p>Will grinned. “That’s all you’re gonna say? C’mon, at least tell me <em> something.” </em></p><p>Nico huffed. “Fine. I’m attracted to men, so you check that box.” </p><p>“Are you gonna make me guess?” Will leaned back, dragging his hands down Nico’s legs as he moved, and he hummed. “Let’s see… Tall, blond, blue-eyed, insanely handsome--” Nico laughed, and Will knew he would crack soon. “Am I missing anything else?”</p><p>“Strong enough to carry me,” Nico filled in, “but I don’t think you’re quite there yet.” </p><p>Will’s smile brightened, and he could tell that Nico was already unsure of himself. “Oh, honey,” Will started, shifting closer so that his hips were flush against the washing machine and his hands slid up to Nico’s hips. “Let me tell you something about transitioning.” He slid Nico across the top of the washer and pulled him close, hooking Nico’s legs around his waist. “It’s more than just hormone replacement.” He took Nico’s hands and placed them on his shoulders, allowing Nico to wrap his arms around the back of Will’s neck. “It also involves maintaining a healthy diet…” Will slipped his hands under Nico’s thighs and took a step back, effortlessly keeping Nico suspended as he said, “...and a <em> lot </em> of exercise.” </p><p>Nico was staring up at him with wide eyes and a furious blush, looking like he was trying his hardest to take deep, calculated breaths. </p><p>Will tilted his head down and bumped his nose against Nico's, his breath teasing Nico’s lips as he whispered, “Any questions?” </p><p>A few seconds passed before Nico buried his face in the side of Will’s neck and groaned, “Oh my <em> god.” </em></p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>They returned to camp late, having taken their time with their laundry (meaning they’d gotten distracted and ended up forgetting about it for about an hour) and having a late dinner. The camp was quiet when they got out of Will’s car, immediately linking hands as soon as they were close enough to do so. </p><p>Will had intended on walking Nico back to his cabin, since it was as close as he would get to walking him home, but just the idea of leaving Nico for the night had him resistant to even letting go of Nico’s hand. Why did they have to let the night end now? They already had a limited amount of time left with each other, so shouldn’t they make the most of it?</p><p>“Hey,” Will said, stopping in his tracks on tugging on Nico’s hand to get him to stop as well. Nico turned to face him with a confused pout, illuminated by the emergency light that they stood under. </p><p>“What?” Nico asked when Will didn’t immediately follow up with something.</p><p>He took a deep breath. “This is only a half-formed idea, so bear with me, okay? And if it doesn’t make sense, or if it’s a dumb idea, feel free to stop me whenever. Okay?” Nico nodded. “Okay. What if we skipped the dating thing, and just went straight into the relationship?” </p><p>Nico’s head tipped to the side. “How do you mean?”</p><p>Will squeezed his hand. “I mean… Well, I already <em> know </em> that I like you. I don’t need to have a handful of isolated interactions with you to reaffirm that. I still want to date you, don’t get me wrong. I want to take you out on a million of the most romantic dates the world as ever seen, but… We don’t really have the time for that.” </p><p>Nico nodded along, signifying that he was still following. “So...what are you suggesting?” </p><p>Will paused. He didn’t really know what he was suggesting, because he hadn’t ever done something like this before. “I guess...I want us to skip all of the <em> getting to know each other </em> stuff and jump right into the <em> being together </em> thing. I don’t want to dance around each other because one of us is worried that things are moving too fast or too slow. I just want to be able to hold your hand and kiss you whenever I want, even though I already know that I won’t be able to do that whenever camp is in session. We only have so much time together, and I want to make the most of it.” </p><p>Nico nodded again, slowly before picking up speed as he processed the words. “Okay. Yeah, okay, I think I understand. None of the dumb anxiety about whether or not we really like each other.” </p><p>Will grinned. “Right. Because you already know that I like you, and I already know that you’re crazy about me.” </p><p>“Or maybe you’re just <em> crazy,” </em>Nico shot back, but he was doing that thing again. That thing where he stood forward on his toes, his chin tilted up and his head tipped just slightly to the side. The only thing missing were the crossed arms, but Will wasn’t about to let go of Nico’s hand just to let him complete the picture. There was something about the way Nico was standing that made Will want to kiss him, and he had a strange feeling that that was exactly what Nico wanted, too.</p><p>So of course he did.</p><p>“I want whatever you want,” Will promised him, his lips brushing against Nico’s and his fingers tracing shapes across the smooth skin of Nico’s cheek. “If you want to date, then you’d better believe that I’m going to woo you so hard that it’ll knock your socks clean off. But if you say you want a relationship that starts <em> now, </em> then I’m going to invite you back to my room and smother you with so much affection that you won’t ever want to leave my bed.” </p><p>Nico was watching him with eyes half-lidded, swaying gently on his toes. He whispered, “Okay,” and pressed his lips to Will’s again.</p><p>“Okay to what?” Will asked, and kissed the corner of his mouth. “To dating me?” A kiss to his chin. “To me wooing you?” To one cheek. “Or to a relationship?” The other cheek. “You coming back to my room.” His jaw. “Spending the night with me.” </p><p>Nico directed Will back to his lips with a whine. He pressed his forehead to Will’s and said, “You’re really going to make me choose?”</p><p>Will’s gaze softened. “I’ll let you in on a little secret: I’ll woo you either way.” He pecked at Nico’s lips once more. “Spend the night with me.” </p><p>Nico’s lips curved up into a smile. “Okay.” He let himself be kissed again and again in the center of camp with no one around to see. When Will finally gave him the chance to breathe, the sudden oxygen flooding to Nico’s brain forced him to actually <em> think. </em></p><p>“Don’t you have a twin bed?” Nico muttered.</p><p>Will’s smile turned confused. “Yeah, why?” </p><p>“How do you expect both of us to fit on a twin bed?” </p><p>Will brushed his nose against Nico’s. “Hey, if Annabeth and Percy can figure it out, then so can we. So?”</p><p>Nico squeezed his hand. “What are we still standing here for?” </p><p>Will pulled him toward the infirmary. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thanks for reading!!<br/>we've got 2 chapters left so hopefully i can get them written soon!!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hello!!! uhhhhhhhh heres an update ig idk what else to say but i got pasta on the stove so i gotta be quick<br/>enjoy!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Nico liked spending the night with Will. That first night, they’d had such a long day that they’d simply stripped out of their clothes and dropped onto Will’s bed. (It was a twin, and way too small for two grown men, just as Nico suspected, but they made it work.) The second night, after they’d both had a couple of drinks around the campfire with the rest of the counselors, they stayed up much later - exchanging clumsy kisses in the dark, talking about any topic that came to mind, and finding new ways to fall asleep beside each other with such limited space.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico had quickly learned that Will was something of a bed hog, which meant that the only way for Nico to sleep beside him without getting shoved off the bed or squished against the wall was to sleep halfway on top of him. And normally, that would have been fine. Unfortunately for them, seeing as it was the middle of summer, the ninety-degree heat tended to stick around even after the sun set, leaving the cabins hot and humid and entirely without air conditioning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, long story short, Nico woke up two days in a row with his head pillowed on Will’s chest, their legs tangled together, and one arm slung across Will’s stomach that had practically been glued to Will’s bare skin with sweat while they slept. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still, things could be worse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Immediately after opening his eyes, Nico deduced that he would have to destroy the sun if he wanted to fall asleep for another few hours. But since that would require removing himself from Will’s side, he decided not to bother. He also didn’t think he would be able to reach for the blinds without waking Will, either. Instead, he lifted his head to get a good look at the man he was currently using as a pillow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seeing Will asleep in a patch of sunlight was something entirely different from seeing him awake. His skin was soft and unwrinkled by his constant smiles, though even as Nico looked closer, he thought he could see the tiniest upturn at the corner of Will’s mouth. His freckles stood out more prominently against the bronze of his skin, and his blond hair turned golden in the direct light of the sun.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What struck Nico most were his eyelashes, long and pale and perfectly curved. They fanned out against his cheek and fluttered when Will shifted in his sleep. Nico had never gotten close enough to Will during the day to see the way his eyelashes seemed to be dusted with gold by the way they glittered in the sun. Or maybe Nico had been close enough, plenty of times, but always found himself distracted by the beautiful blue that was currently hidden behind those lashes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico knew that if he didn’t stop looking he would find himself reaching out to touch, but that would mean waking Will. So he pillowed his head on Will’s chest once more, and let his eyes drop to the tattoo over Will’s heart. This time, he let himself touch, tracing the ink with featherlight fingertips until his eyes caught on something else again. His hand trailed downward a few inches and he trailed his thumb over the surgical scar there. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will’s fingers twitched against Nico’s hip, and his nose pressed into Nico’s hair. He waited until Will shifted again before Nico raised his head, being careful not to knock his skull against Will’s so that he could gaze upon his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will’s eyes opened slowly and only halfway, and his gaze met Nico’s. That beautiful blue sent a jolt through Nico’s entire body, stopping his heart and his lungs and making his fingers and toes curl, and it sent his brain into overdrive. One thought stood out from the thousands suddenly swirling inside Nico’s head: </span>
  <em>
    <span>I wish I could wake up like this every day.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Will smiled at him, and the look in his eyes softened impossibly so as his fingers started dragging across the skin of Nico’s side. “Good morning,” he said, his voice low and rough from sleep. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good morning,” Nico whispered in reply, and not for the first time he tried to fight down the urge to kiss him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wait, no. He didn’t have to fight that urge anymore - at least, not when they were alone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico set his palm on Will’s chest and stretched his neck up until his lips were just brushing Will’s. Will tilted his own head down to press his lips more firmly against Nico’s, pulling a gasp from him. It was far from their first kiss - probably well past their twentieth, even - but something about the feel of Will’s lips on his sent butterflies wild in Nico’s stomach, almost making it hard to breathe. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good morning,” Will breathed again against his lips. “You know, I think I could get used to waking up like this.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, could you?” Nico teased. “Then it’s a real shame that this camp’s gonna be filled with kids come dinnertime and I’ll have to sleep all by myself on the other side of camp.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will hummed. “I’m sure I could come up with some medical reason to keep you here overnight.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And leave a cabin full of middle schoolers unsupervised? I don’t think so,” Nico told him with a laugh. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then I’ll just have to come to you,” Will replied, pinching Nico’s side and causing him to squirm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico dug a knuckle between Will’s ribs in retaliation. “Somehow, I don’t think that’ll work out as well as you think.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ow!” Will swatted his hand away, and rubbed at his skin with a pout. “Why are you being so mean all of a sudden? Hurting me like that and breaking my heart. Did our laundromat date mean nothing to you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you always this much of a drama queen in the morning?” Nico asked as he pushed himself into a sitting position. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will draped an arm over his eyes dramatically and replied, “Only when beautiful boys steal my heart and then smash it into a million pieces.” Nico snorted, and Will peeked at him from under his arm. “Hey, where do you think you’re going?” Will shot upwards, wrapping his arms around Nico and pulling him back down to his chest. “I’m not done with you yet!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico laughed and squirmed until Will’s hold loosened just slightly, and he could kneel on the mattress with one knee on either side of Will’s hips. “That’s right, you’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>not,</span>
  </em>
  <span> because you still haven’t fulfilled your promise,” Nico reminded him, cradling Will’s face in his hands and brushing their noses together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will’s head tilted in confusion. “Which one?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico grinned. “The one where you said you would smother me until I never wanted to leave this bed. Or something like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Something like that,” Will repeated, and darted up for a kiss. “Well, I can’t break a promise.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then how do you intend to keep it?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will pulled Nico against him and pressed their lips together, again and again, his fingers tracing slow shapes and patterns across the blank canvas of Nico’s back, his head swimming with thoughts that were nothing more than </span>
  <em>
    <span>Nico, Nico, Nico.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Neither of them heard the sound of static as their walkies came to life somewhere else in the room, but they shot apart when Percy’s voice called out, “If you two don’t show up for check in within the next five minutes, I’m coming to get you. And trust me when I say that none of us want that.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In Nico’s hurry to scramble out of bed, he slipped off the edge of the mattress and his shoulder slammed into the ground. He didn’t even let himself register the pain as he stretched across the floor for his watch. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“It’s three o’clock?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> he shrieked, and jumped to his feet after grabbing whatever clothes he could. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We slept through </span>
  <em>
    <span>lunch?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Will exclaimed, sitting up as Nico dropped onto the edge of the bed to pull on his pants. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We almost slept through </span>
  <em>
    <span>check in.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Nico hopped back onto his feet and buttoned his usual black jeans - how he could wear them in the full heat of the sun, Will had no idea - then tugged a shirt over his head. “What are you doing? Get dressed!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will’s eyes flickered down to Nico’s shirt. “But I--” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is your job, too, William,” Nico reminded him. He leaned down for one more kiss, then scooped the pair of walkies off the ground, tossing one blindly toward Will. “See you out there.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico ran from the infirmary with a smile on his face, remembering the feeling of Will’s lips against his. He skid to a stop, clipping his walkie on his waist before dropping into the chair beside Reyna at the check in table. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Nico breathed, scooting his chair closer to the table. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Reyna glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and snorted, shaking her head gently as she tried to conceal her smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico rolled his eyes. “Oh, haha, I was late, </span>
  <em>
    <span>sorry.</span>
  </em>
  <span> And shut up.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t say anything,” Reyna replied seconds before the first family stepped up to the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next half hour or so sped by as parents and children came and went, and Nico didn’t have to think about anything other than the waivers and other release forms he had to pass back and forth as campers got checked in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Until he greeted a camper that he recognized from the year before, and the boy’s mom said, “It’s such a shame that you won’t be Tommy’s counselor this summer.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico lifted his gaze from the forms he was handing over. “Sorry?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She quickly signed on the necessary lines, replying, “Oh, Tommy loved having you as his counselor last year, but it’s great to see that you’ve branched out into the medical field! And you’ll still be around as the camp nurse, so that’s all that matters, really, isn’t it?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, sure,” Nico said, taking the forms back and handing them to Reyna to file. “Tommy’s in cabin thirteen again, so I’m sure you know the way.” Nico offered a smile as he gestured toward the cabins and the few counselors - Frank, Grover, and Rachel - who were giving directions. “If you need help with anything, they’ll be happy to help.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as Tommy and his mother were out of earshot, Nico leaned over to Reyna and whispered, “What the hell was that about?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Reyna raised an eyebrow at him as she snapped the file box closed. “Maybe take a look at your shirt.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico looked down at his chest, plucking at his shirt to make sure it was the right one - obviously it was, because it wasn’t like Nico even </span>
  <em>
    <span>owned</span>
  </em>
  <span> any clothes that were the same shade of bright orange. Then he glanced at the sleeve. Rather than the usual </span>
  <em>
    <span>cabin thirteen counselor,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he saw </span>
  <em>
    <span>MEDIC.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico choked on his next breath. He didn’t notice until that moment that his shirt seemed a little looser than it should have, and he’d thought that the smell of Will that had clung to him was just the lingering effects of spending a weekend so close to him. But no, Nico had accidentally thrown on </span>
  <em>
    <span>Will’s shirt.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico smacked Reyna’s arm. “Why didn’t you </span>
  <em>
    <span>say anything?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because it’s hilarious. Obviously,” Reyna said plainly. “And it’s not like you had time to change, anyway.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hate you so much,” Nico hissed as another family approached the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You love me,” she shot back, and leaned in close enough that she would whisper directly into his ear as she continued, “but not as much as you love Will.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If there hadn’t been so many witnesses, Nico would’ve killed her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As soon as they were given the all-clear to pack up the check in table, Nico booked it back to the infirmary to change into his own shirt, which he found half kicked under Will’s bed. He was the last one in the mess hall, catching the door as the final group of parents headed out, and he made for table thirteen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a familiar blond sitting in his usual seat, supervising his campers while Nico was away. As he swung a chair around to the table, he said, “Hey, guys, I’m Nico. I’m your counselor. Sorry I’m late.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Nico took his seat, Tommy piped up, “I thought you were the nurse now.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will coughed, and Nico caught him trying to hide a smile behind his hand. “Uh, nope,” Nico said, kicking Will under the table. “Just a misunderstanding.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before anyone else could argue, Percy and Annabeth stepped onto the stage across the mess hall and called for everyone’s attention. Once all the boys had turned to look the other way, Nico felt a nudge at his shoulder, and saw Will leaning closer than he had been before. He held out a walkie between them, his fingers wrapped around the antenna.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Nico mouthed, and watched as Will turned the walkie over, revealing the familiar black and white stickers of Nico’s walkie. Nico’s mouth fell open, and he reached for the walkie at his waist. Somehow, Will had managed to squeeze three full-sized stickers onto his walkie - a sunflower that curved around the back and one side, a cowboy hat that mirrored it, and two crossed lightsabers underneath the clip that Nico had rolled his eyes at when Will found them - and still Nico had managed to accidentally grab the wrong walkie, even with so many colors all over Will’s. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I believe you have something of mine,” Will whispered, and Nico had to fight the urge to smash his forehead against the table in front of him. Nico shoved Will’s walkie into his hand and snatched his own, clipping it to his waist and trying desperately to avoid acknowledging that he could still feel Will’s eyes on him. “And one more thing,” Will continued, and Nico’s head snapped toward him.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Nico hissed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will leaned in, his breath fanning against Nico’s cheek as he breathed, “You look good in my clothes.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico’s face erupted in flames to the point where even his ears were burning. “It’s not my fault we all wear the same ugly shade of orange!” </span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cabin thirteen was scheduled for an afternoon at the obstacle course with cabin ten, and since it was so close to the infirmary, Will had happily tagged along. He certainly hadn’t been making it easy for Nico to forget the fact that they were officially in a relationship, and since Nico could - and probably would - get fired if he kissed Will out in the open (or even dragged him away somewhere for a hidden makeout), he </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> needed Will to keep some distance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Which was why Nico didn’t drag his feet as much as usual when one of his campers decided to sit out. He should have remembered that about Tommy from the year before - he was much more of a watcher than a doer, and he’d liked Nico so much because Nico had easily agreed to letting him sit out from certain activities, at least after he’d tried them once. So after Tommy ran through the obstacle course once, he asked to sit out and watch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So that left Nico’s cabin with an uneven number of campers for a team building course, which forced Nico to step in. He didn’t mind, of course, because it was his job to interact with the kids, and running through obstacle courses with a ten-year-old buddy was the epitome of interacting with the kids. What he </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> mind, though, was having Piper off to the side, watching after time Nico tripped over his own feet because he happened to notice that Will was watching him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico had run the course about five times, each with a different member of his cabin, before they mixed up the cabins and made the boys from cabin thirteen pair up with the girls from cabin ten. It still left them with an odd man - or, more accurately, girl - out, but it at least gave Nico a longer break in between runs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He slowed to a stop next to Piper, breathing heavy and collapsing in half with his hands on his knees while he caught his breath. Distantly, he heard the junior who was running the activity shout, </span>
  <em>
    <span>go!</span>
  </em>
  <span> while Piper poked him in the side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t seriously be </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> out of shape,” she told him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico huffed. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“You</span>
  </em>
  <span> try running that thing three times in a row. I had to practically carry Jeremy through the thing that last time!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piper shrugged, turning her gaze back out toward the course to watch for rule breaking or injuries. “I dunno, maybe you should let </span>
  <em>
    <span>Will</span>
  </em>
  <span> check you out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico scowled, and straightened up. “Don’t give me that tone.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t give me that </span>
  <em>
    <span>face,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Piper laughed, smushing a finger into his cheek until he swatted it away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico followed her gaze to the course, and then across it to the other side, where Will and Tommy were sitting in a patch of sunlight. Tommy looked to be sitting quietly, as he always did, and Will seemed to be trying to coax him into conversation again and again. He looked up, as though feeling Nico’s eyes on him, and grinned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, he’s really good with kids,” Piper said, drawing Nico’s attention back to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He rolled his eyes. “Uh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>duh.</span>
  </em>
  <span> That’s kind of part of the job description. We work at a summer camp for middle schoolers, Piper, or did you forget that somehow?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She glanced toward him and winked. “I’m just saying...</span>
  <em>
    <span>marriage material</span>
  </em>
  <span> right there. I think the two of you are cute together.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Piper, </span>
  <em>
    <span>please,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Nico said, aiming for a groan that got cut off by his own laughter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Am I wrong?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, no, but--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piper grinned. “So you agree, you could hypothetically see yourself marrying Will someday.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico flinched at her words. “Woah, hang on a second, I didn’t-- Wait, did you just </span>
  <em>
    <span>Mean Girls</span>
  </em>
  <span> me?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piper threw her head back and laughed. “Oh my god, I couldn’t decide whether it would be funnier for you to realize or not.” She wrapped an arm around Nico’s shoulder and pulled him against her side. He hated that she was a few inches taller than him because it put her at the perfect height to do exactly this. “I’m just messing with you, you know that, right? He seems great and all, but really I’m just happy to see you so happy.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico heaved a deep sigh, but even that didn’t keep the tiny smile off his face. “Yeah, he’s pretty okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh?” Piper squeezed him closer, and when Nico didn’t offer up anything else, she said, “Aw, c’mon, that’s all you’re gonna give me?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep,” Nico said with a </span>
  <em>
    <span>pop.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “You wanna maybe focus on your job now? Because I think one of your kids - Lacy, maybe? - just tripped and it looked like she went down hard. You better </span>
  <em>
    <span>pray</span>
  </em>
  <span> Will has a good supply of Anna and Elsa bandaids on him right now.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piper took a deep breath and pulled her arm back from Nico. “She prefers emoji,” was all she said before jogging toward the crying girl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico looked past them to Will, who had jumped to his feet and was also on the move toward Lacy. He was pretty okay, not that Nico would likely ever admit it out loud to one of his friends again. He was pretty great, even.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even though Hazel had left, her two sessions spent at camp that summer were enough to get the other counselors back into the habit of singing songs around the campfire. They’d gone through most of what Nico was familiar with, and when Percy finally asked for suggestions from the campers, there was only time for one more song before lights out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kiss me goodnight!” a little girl called out, loud enough to be heard over the suggestions from the rest of the campers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico’s head tilted in confusion, and he met Percy’s eyes across the fire. It sounded familiar, but a quick mental scan of all the campfire songs Nico knew couldn’t come up with anything, and considering the look on Percy’s face, Nico figured he was in the same boat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then, off to the side, Reyna started to sing.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“My baby kissed me goodnight, and I am glad to relate that by the time I got home, I was feeling great.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Annabeth joined in for the next line with: </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I climbed up the door and opened the stairs, I said my pajamas and put on my prayers.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I turned off the bed and crawled into the light,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Rachel sang as bumped her shoulder against Reyna’s, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“and all because you kissed me--”</span>
  </em>
  <span> All three women raised a hand to their lips and blew an overexaggerated kiss. “Mwah! </span>
  <em>
    <span>Goodnight!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>A chorus of </span>
  <em>
    <span>oh</span>
  </em>
  <span>s of recognition passed through most of the circle, Nico included, and they joined in for the next verse. They were all guilty of stumbling over a line here and there, and a handful of the campers were mostly just mumbling along, but Will sat silent beside him with a smile on his face, watching them all with amusement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the song slowed down for the bridge, Nico slid his hand along the bench he was sitting on until his fingers overlapped with Will’s. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“By evening I felt normal, so we went out again,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Nico sang, his voice dropping low enough that only Will could hear him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“You said, ‘goodnight,’ and kissed me. I hurried home, and then…”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He shot Will a grin before turning back to the rest of the circle, belting out the finale of the song at full volume along with the other counselors. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the song came to an end, Annabeth got to her feet and clapped in rhythm, the campers all repeating the pattern back to her. “Alright, campers, it’s time to blow your counselors a kiss goodnight and head to bed. We’ll see you again bright and early tomorrow morning!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico squeezed Will’s fingers before he released his hand and stood to wrangle his campers. He corralled the boys back to cabin thirteen reminding them to grab their toothbrushes so that they could all take a trip to the bathhouse before lights out. Nico was about to follow the last camper into the cabin when a hand caught around his wrist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Nico,” Will said, giving a slight tug on his hand. “Can I talk to you? It’ll just take a second.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico nodded and hopped off the step, allowing Will to pull him off to the side. “What’s up?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rather than answer, Will peered over Nico’s shoulder, as though checking to make sure the cabin door had fallen shut. He checked behind himself next, which got Nico glancing around as well - he had no idea what Will was looking for, but there certainly wasn’t anybody else around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will’s hand found his cheek and turned Nico toward him once more. He pushed forward, his lips finding Nico’s as an arm slid around Nico’s back. Nico felt like the air was being pulled out of his lungs, and he felt his eyes crossing before they slid shut. It was over all too soon and Nico was left with a dizzy head as he stared up at the smile Will had pointed at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Goodnight,” Will whispered, and with one more quick peck, he was off toward the infirmary. Leaving Nico behind, frozen, cheeks burning red, until Tommy came out of the cabin to ask if they were still going to the bathhouse.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Frank had come to table thirteen Monday morning at breakfast, rambling excitedly at the chance to finally open up the archery range. He’d asked - or maybe </span>
  <em>
    <span>begged</span>
  </em>
  <span> was the better word - for Nico to come along and help him supervise. He knew damn well that Nico wouldn’t actually be of any help since he was shit with a bow, but he agreed to go anyway. He figured Frank just wanted to show Nico that he was the right person to run Bianca’s archery range - even though Nico already knew he was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Naturally, Will tagged along as well, claiming that he wanted to see this new part of camp, which might have been true. The really true part of it, though, Nico could only guess at every time Will’s fingers brushed against his as they walked along a mostly unused path to a new part of the woods. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico had helped set up the range before, and while it had been a few years ago at that point, he still remembered the process. One bow at each station, five arrows in each quiver. Uncover the targets and make sure each one was fifteen feet away from the archer. Will and Frank had done the job of moving each target while Nico stocked each station, and they were just finishing up by the time a junior showed up with about ten campers following behind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Frank started off with rules and instructions, Nico and Will wandered off toward a sunny patch of grass where they could watch at a safe distance. Far enough that Nico figured they wouldn’t have to risk dodging any stray arrows, but close enough that they could both jump in to help if need be. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will had stretched out, legs crossed in front of him at the ankle, hands on the ground behind him, propping him up. Nico wanted nothing more in that moment than to knock Will onto his back and lay with him in their little patch of sunlight, but he fought against the urge even to so much as lean against his side. It had only been a couple of days since Will last kissed him, and just that touch after a handful of days without it had been enough to make Nico dizzy. If he even reached out for Will’s hand at this point, he didn’t think he’d ever be able to let go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How did Percy and Annabeth survive this every summer?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know,” Will started, pulling Nico out of his own thoughts, “I was on the archery team in high school.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Were you,” Nico replied, feeling the corner of his mouth involuntarily tugging upward into the beginnings of a smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mhm,” Will hummed back, his head tipping toward Nico with that cocky smile that Nico was starting to recognize as his attempt to flirt. “I could show off for you, but I wouldn’t want to make any of the kids feel embarrassed compared to me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep himself from laughing. “Uh huh. I mean, if you want to show off, I’m certainly not going to stop you. In fact, I think you </span>
  <em>
    <span>should</span>
  </em>
  <span> show off.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will’s smile faltered, just for a second. “You...do?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico nodded his head toward the range. “There’s an open station right there, and it’s stocked and everything. C’mon, </span>
  <em>
    <span>William,</span>
  </em>
  <span> show me what you got.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will cleared his throat, his cocky smile all but gone. “You...</span>
  <em>
    <span>want me</span>
  </em>
  <span> to show off?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Am I not being obvious?” Nico twisted and leaned closer until his shoulder bumped against Will’s, and he whispered, “Impress me, Sunshine.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will’s cheeks had grown pink by the time he nodded quickly and stood, marching over to the last station. Nico watched as he picked up the bow with hesitation, adjusting and readjusting his grip on it over and over before he did a few test pulls on the string. He was turned away from Nico, so he couldn’t see Will’s face, though the tense way he stood was telling enough. Nico hoped he hadn’t pushed Will too far, but if this had been crossing a line, then maybe Will shouldn’t have brought it up at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will nocked an arrow and drew back the string, holding himself in position for a short moment before firing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The arrow struck the ground about a foot in front of the target. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico chalked it up to him being out of practice. It had been a good four years at least since he’d fired an arrow, most likely, so it made sense. And even if the next four arrows missed their mark as well, then at least Nico got to watch the way the muscles in Will’s arms and back tensed and flexed underneath the fabric of his t-shirt - it was an attractive sight. Much more attractive than the embarrassed flush that colored Will’s face as he trudged back toward Nico, who felt himself wincing at the realization that he’d put that look on Will’s face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will dropped onto the ground beside him, and Nico patted his knee in sympathy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was a no-cut team,” Will said plainly, his eyes locked on the grass at his feet. “I, uh, didn’t expect you to call my bluff.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad I did. You looked hot,” Nico told him, feeling his own ears start to burn. “I mean, you </span>
  <em>
    <span>always</span>
  </em>
  <span> look hot, but--” He awkwardly lifted his hand from Will’s knee and drew it back into his own lap. “Stop looking at me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will was, in fact, looking at him. “You think I’m hot,” Will said with a grin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico rolled his eyes and hugged his knees to his chest. “Obviously. You </span>
  <em>
    <span>are.</span>
  </em>
  <span> It’s not something I </span>
  <em>
    <span>think, </span>
  </em>
  <span>it’s, like, a fact.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, do you wanna tell me why the range hasn’t been up and running this whole time?” Will asked. “It’s just that I would’ve liked the opportunity to show off sooner, had I known about it. Apparently my extensive collection of bandaids wasn’t the turn on I’d been hoping it would be.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico had to duck his head to stifle his laughter. “Did you really think Spiderman bandaids were gonna do it for me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>no,</span>
  </em>
  <span> but it’s not like I’d had any other golden opportunities to impress you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico rolled his eyes again, though this time the motion was paired with a fond smile. Sure, Will hadn’t shown off physically all too often, but what about the time that he’d brought Nico coffee because he hadn’t slept well? Or when he helped Nico finish making all those friendship bracelets in the knick of time? Or when he kept Nico company during a thunderstorm?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico had to stop thinking about all that, or else he was going to do something that would get him fired. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Archery was my sister’s activity,” Nico told him, letting his gaze drift back out toward the flying arrows in front of them. “I, um. I told you about her once, I think. Bianca.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She used to be a counselor,” Will filled in. “She talked you through every thunderstorm.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico nodded. “When she stopped being a counselor, there wasn’t anyone around who knew it well enough to teach it. So, it got pushed aside. Lee - he was the medic for the last few years - he offered to start it up again last summer, but Chiron wouldn’t let him. It would be too much for him to run an activity and the infirmary at the same time. And then Frank tried to get it running last session, but with all the storms, it didn’t work out.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Feel free to tell me to shut up or whatever, but can I ask…” Nico tensed, knowing full well what was about to come out of Will’s mouth. And yet, somehow, the thought didn’t hurt as much as it had before. “Bianca isn’t a counselor anymore.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not a question,” Nico pointed out, still unable to let his eyes drift back toward Will.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, but--” Will took a breath. “Percy said that nobody even talks to her anymore. Did she get a new job, or move away, or…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico smiled sadly, letting out a tiny laugh. “I wish I knew.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will stayed silent next to him, which Nico appreciated, but… Oh, screw the rules. He reached out for Will’s hand, promising himself that he would let go eventually, once he had gotten the comfort he so desperately needed. Will’s hand turned under his own, and their fingers twisted together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Remember how I told you that the last time I had spoken to her was during a thunderstorm?” Nico asked, though he didn’t wait for a response. “She was acting like everything was fine. She was in her dorm room, studying for her organic chemistry exam. At first, she blamed me for distracting her, but then she used her studying to distract me from the storm - telling me about different chemicals and explaining different compounds, and-- I don’t know, I had to drop my freshman chem class because it didn’t make any sense to me, so everything she told me that night went in one ear and out the other. But at least it distracted me, you know?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A couple of days passed before I tried talking to her again, but she wouldn’t answer me texts and she didn’t pick up when I called. I called Hazel, and she said that she was having the same problem, and I was so freaked out that I even called my </span>
  <em>
    <span>dad,</span>
  </em>
  <span> but… It was like she was just </span>
  <em>
    <span>gone.</span>
  </em>
  <span> As if she disappeared in the middle of the night, one second she existed and the next, nothing. She had a single dorm, and she didn’t talk to her RA all that often, so there was nobody around who could even tell when she had last left her dorm, so the police couldn’t even really put together a timeline. They said her room looked like she’d just gotten up to use the bathroom and never came back, like there were textbooks still open on her desk and the light was still on. We don’t know if she ran away, or if she was kidnapped, or… Or even if she’s still alive.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico took a deep breath. It was shaky, but he wasn’t crying. He knew he’d sped up quite a bit through his explanation, so he hoped Will got it all. He didn’t think he’d be able to say any of it again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will squeezed Nico’s hand once before his fingers slipped away, and for a second Nico started to panic, his brain tricking him into thinking that Will, too, was going to disappear right in front of him, but then there was a pair of arms wrapping around him and pulling him close. Nico flinched at first, because holding hands was one thing, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span> felt like enough to get them both fired, though Will only held on tighter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” Will whispered into the top of Nico’s head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t need to be,” Nico told him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But I am. I’m sorry that it happened, and I’m sorry that I brought it up.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico pinched the underside of Will’s arm, just above his elbow. “And I’m saying that you don’t need to be. It’s common knowledge around here, so you might as well know my deep dark history, too. I’m just… Thank you for asking me and not somebody else. I’d rather have to say it then know that people were talking behind my back.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He let himself enjoy Will’s hold on him for just a few seconds longer before he broke away, carefully peeling Will’s arms off of him. Nico scrubbed a hand over his face and took another deep breath before finally turning to look at Will once more. “Why did Frank even ask me to come here? It’s not like I’m being at all helpful, and I don’t even know anything about archery, anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will shot him a grin. “Well, why don’t I teach you a thing or two? Just because I’m bad at it doesn’t mean I don’t know the basics. Trust me, I spent a </span>
  <em>
    <span>lot</span>
  </em>
  <span> of time learning the basics, so I’m basically an expert.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“An expert on the basics.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s what I said.” Will got to his feet and held out a hand for Nico to take, though he released it as soon as Nico was standing. They walked to the station furthest away from the practicing campers, and Will held out the bow for Nico to take. For the next few minutes, Will walked Nico through the proper stance, best way to hold the bow, and the techniques for aiming, all while being much more hands-on than he likely needed to be. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Will stepped behind Nico and placed his hands on Nico’s hips to adjust his stance for the third time in as many minutes, Nico asked, “Do you actually know what you’re talking about, or are you just using this as an excuse to touch me?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will’s hands didn’t lift from his waist, and instead his chin dropped onto Nico’s shoulder. “Well, that depends. What would you like the answer to be?” </span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>On the last night of the fifth session, when Nico was two hours of wakefulness away from the point of exhaustion, Tommy burst into tears. Nico had just - </span>
  <em>
    <span>just -</span>
  </em>
  <span> convinced the rest of his cabin to go to sleep, already at least half an hour past lights out, but Tommy wasn’t having it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tommy, please stop crying, your friends are trying to sleep,” Nico begged, fighting back the urge to snap in his overtired state. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want my mom!” Tommy wailed from where he stood at the center of the cabin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tommy, </span>
  <em>
    <span>please,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Nico whispered, drawing a hand over his face as Tommy only cried </span>
  <em>
    <span>louder,</span>
  </em>
  <span> somehow, which was the last straw. “Okay,” Nico grumbled to himself, and stepped forward to lift Tommy off his feet. He struggled to hold Tommy up with only one arm as he tried to open the door with the other while simultaneously calling back, “Everyone go to sleep, I’ll be right outside if you need me, okay?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He tried to shut the door quietly before he dropped down onto the front step, maneuvering Tommy so that he could sit comfortably in Nico’s lap. Nico held him, rubbing his back while he cried into the front of Nico’s shirt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tommy, buddy, you gotta quiet down,” Nico told him calmly, mentally saying goodbye to any sleep he might get that night. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wan’ </span>
  <em>
    <span>-hic-</span>
  </em>
  <span> go home,” the boy hiccupped through his tears. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can go home tomorrow,” Nico said. “Everybody’s going home tomorrow, and the sooner you go to sleep, the sooner tomorrow will come.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No!” Tommy wailed. “I want my mom! Call my mom, I wanna go home now!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was too dark for Nico to check his watch, so he made up a guess at what time it could’ve been - it wasn’t like Tommy had had any concept of time for the past two weeks, anyway. “It’s after midnight, Tommy, I can’t call your mom so late. She’s already asleep, and Chiron’s asleep, and Chiron is the only person with a phone. I can’t wake him up or else he won’t let me be your counselor again next summer.” Little lies like those were okay, right? At least when he was so tired. Wide awake, Nico would </span>
  <em>
    <span>never</span>
  </em>
  <span> lie to a kid. Well, almost never.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wanna go home,” Tommy repeated, and Nico sighed, holding him tighter as he started to rock gently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re gonna be home really, really soon,” Nico said, “I promise. I can call your mom first thing in the morning and she can be here as soon as we’re done with breakfast if that’s what you really want, but that’s the best I can do. Why do you wanna go home so bad all of a sudden?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-- I miss my mom,” Tommy started, his sobs turning less violent as he was forced to think. “And my dad, and my brother. And my cat.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You have a cat?” Nico asked. “What kind?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s orange,” Tommy answered simply, his arms snaking around Nico’s back to hug him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s his name?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cheddar.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like the cheese?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tommy nodded. “He always sleeps in my bed with me. Do you think he misses me, too? What if he doesn’t remember me because I was gone so long?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure he will,” Nico assured him. “He’s probably your best friend, right? Best friends don’t forget each other so easily.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you have a best friend?” Tommy asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have a lot of best friends,” Nico answered. “All of the other counselors are my best friends.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then how come you only have one friendship bracelet? And whose is it? And are they your best friend, too?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico felt himself starting to smile, glancing down at the wrist where he wore his friendship bracelet. “That one’s from Will. He’s a...different kind of friend. And no, he’s not my best friend, but I think someday he could be.” He rubbed a hand up and down Tommy’s back once more. “Do you think you’re ready to go to sleep yet?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tommy shook his head and held on tighter to Nico. “Just a little longer.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The sooner you sleep, the sooner tomorrow will come,” Nico reminded him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, but...I’m not ready.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico sighed, but didn’t argue. Instead, he leaned back as far as he could without bothering Tommy, and watched the stars overhead until eventually, finally, Tommy fell asleep in his lap. He carried the boy inside and tucked him into bed before crawling into his own, though of course, as tired as he had been before, now he couldn’t get himself to sleep. It wasn’t until the sky had turned a predawn gray that Nico finally succumbed, only to be woken by the camp’s alarm only too few hours later. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He dragged himself out of bed with a groan and threw on yesterday’s clothes before going around to wake his kids.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico barely managed to stay awake long enough for everyone to get changed out of their pajamas, and was tempted to fall asleep at table thirteen when they finally arrived. The only thing that stopped him was the wonderful smell coming from the cup in Piper’s hand, which had Nico practically running - or very slowly dragging his feet - in the direction of the staff room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Naturally, whoever had been the last to make themself a cup had conspired to make Nico’s day as horrible as possible and didn’t bother restarting the machine after taking the last of the coffee. Which left Nico falling asleep where he stood with an empty to-go cup in hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as he actually began nodding off, the machine beeped, and Nico scrambled for the pot in his half-awake state. Overeager as he was, Nico ended up spilling coffee over the edge of his cup as he tried to pour, though he chose to ignore the burning heat against his fingers and the sound of splashing against the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He must have blinked or something, because the next thing he knew, the cup and pot had been taken out of his hands by a pair that had snaked around him from behind - tan and freckled and familiar. It wasn’t until Nico felt a kiss that was placed on the top of his head that his sleep deprived brain filled in the blanks, and by then there was a perfectly made cup of coffee in Will’s hand, just waiting to be taken by Nico. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead, Nico turned in Will’s arms and hugged him, tucking his face against Will’s chest. “I could kiss you so much right now,” Nico mumbled into Will’s shirt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did you manage to spill so much coffee on the ground?” Will replied. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> tired,” Nico answered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you </span>
  <em>
    <span>dare</span>
  </em>
  <span> fall asleep on me,” Will told him, though he placed a warm hand on Nico’s back, just his thumb moving to rub a soothing pattern over his spine. He took a sip from Nico’s coffee, which was enough to wake Nico up again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, don’t drink that, that’s mine!” Nico exclaimed, backing away from Will and grabbing at the coffee cup.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will held it just out of reach. “I made it, so how come it isn’t mine?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico’s body sagged, and he tried his best to glare up at Will. “I </span>
  <em>
    <span>will</span>
  </em>
  <span> cry if you don’t give that to me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will’s eyes widened. “Okay, please don’t.” He handed it over. </span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>That night, after the kids had left and after Nico had had a two hour nap, they gathered for their usual campfire. It was there that Grover announced that Will would finally have to take his turn cooking breakfast the next morning, and Nico could actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>feel</span>
  </em>
  <span> Will tense beside him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, trust me, you really don’t want that,” Will tried to argue, but they’d all had Jason’s cooking before. Truly nothing could be worse than that, meaning that Will wasn’t going to get out of it easy. It was a good thing he had Nico to help him out - and, of course, Annabeth, who was also taking her turn to cook, which meant that naturally Percy would tag along as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The four of them had all met up in the kitchen the following morning, Percy and Nico stepping away to retrieve coffee for themselves and their significant others. By the time they returned, something was already burning, and it was made very clear just how much Will had </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> been exaggerating. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico stepped in to get the meal back on track, conversing with Annabeth briefly to figure out something that Will could do that wouldn’t result in the kitchen burning down. Once he got Will settled with something easier, Nico crossed the kitchen and hopped up to sit on the counter beside where Percy was standing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico could tell right away that Percy had something he wanted to talk about, but Nico wasn’t about to let him know that, so instead he enjoyed his coffee and got comfortable watching Will cook. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So,” Percy said, his tone relaxed and quiet enough that Annabeth and Will wouldn’t hear them across the kitchen. “I see you finally got your head out of your ass.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico grinned, chewing on the edge of his cup for just a second before he replied, “Oh, no, I didn’t back down. Will made the first move, just like I said.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back against the counter. “No way, I don’t believe you. He was totally oblivious and </span>
  <em>
    <span>way</span>
  </em>
  <span> too nervous whenever I talked to him about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico’s eyes narrowed. “What do you </span>
  <em>
    <span>mean,</span>
  </em>
  <span> you </span>
  <em>
    <span>talked</span>
  </em>
  <span> to him about it?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not the point,” Percy said quickly. “The point is: I don’t believe you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico shrugged. “It’s true. He had me in complete and total belief that he wasn’t interested in me at all, and then he just...kissed me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy broke out into a grin. “Dude, Annabeth did the same thing to me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico snorted. “Seriously?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, seriously! It must be a blond thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Must be.” Nico took another sip of his drink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anyway, I was totally right about your type.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico rolled his eyes. “Oh, whatever. I could just as easily pick on you for </span>
  <em>
    <span>your</span>
  </em>
  <span> type.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t have a </span>
  <em>
    <span>type,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Percy shot back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Blonde, tan, surfer type but </span>
  <em>
    <span>way</span>
  </em>
  <span> smarter than you--” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re just talking about your own type,” Percy cut in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, unrelated question,” Nico said. “Has Annabeth ever, like, picked you up? Like, physically carried you from one place to another?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy tipped his head back, staring up at the ceiling as he thought. “I mean, do you count piggyback as carrying? Because, then, yeah. But like, </span>
  <em>
    <span>carry</span>
  </em>
  <span> carry? No. But she probably could if she tried.” Percy looked at him and grinned. “I will say, though, Annabeth being strong enough to pick me up is a </span>
  <em>
    <span>huge</span>
  </em>
  <span> turn on.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico shoved him away. “Gross,” he complained, but as soon as the word was out of his mouth, he realized… “Oh my god.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Percy asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We have the same type.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy laughed. “What? No we-- </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh my god, we do.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> His eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico’s nose scrunched up at his next thought. “Do you think we’re similar enough that </span>
  <em>
    <span>they</span>
  </em>
  <span> have the same type, too?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hell, no. I’m not a twink!” Percy exclaimed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico kicked him in the hip. “Shut up, I’m not a twink either!” Nico called across the kitchen, “Will, am I a twink?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will startled and glanced over his shoulder with wide, almost fearful eyes. “Uh,” Will started, his eyes flickering around, and Nico caught Annabeth shaking her head subtly - though whether it was supposed to be some sort of silent communication with Will or just her expressing her thoughts outwardly, Nico couldn’t tell. Either way, Will finished with, “I don’t think I should answer that.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s probably for the best,” Annabeth said, quiet enough that Nico figured she didn’t intend for him to hear. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hate all of you,” Nico grumbled, giving Percy another kick for good measure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Even me?” Will asked with a pout. “What if I called you a snack, would that help?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you still think I’m a twink?” Nico asked, and Will turned his back without answering. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“All three of you seriously think I’m a </span>
  </em>
  <span>twink?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy wound an arm around Nico’s waist and pulled him close. “Relax, Neeks, you’re a twink in a room full of bisexuals. Life could be worse.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico glared down at him. “Annabeth, you better do something about your boyfriend before I murder him.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Percy, please,” Annabeth said in exasperation, though she shot a grin over her shoulder. “Leave the twink alone.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico started fuming. “You’re on my list!” he shrieked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, which one?” Percy asked, and Nico froze in mortification as he watched Annabeth lean over to explain the joke to Will. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hoped he looked angry, but he was pretty sure the full-face blush was undermining any effect it had. </span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seeing as it was the last weekend between sessions, it was their last chance to get rid of any alcohol they’d bought that summer. Surprisingly enough, there was a decent amount left, though Will had tried to convince Nico not to go too crazy. Nico had only agreed as long as Will promised to step up his game for once and have more than one drink that night. They shook on it, and the already half-drunk Piper and Leo shouted out, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Kiss!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Nico flipped them off in response. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico was trying to avoid any sort of sentimental talk, because he didn’t need any more reminders that his time with Will was coming to an end in just two weeks. However, it was pretty hard to ignore the sentimentality when Jason and Percy were </span>
  <em>
    <span>broing out</span>
  </em>
  <span> so hard. Nico had needed an extra shot just to deal with them, and once he was finally a step past tipsy, their bromosexual relationship became much easier to deal with.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately for Nico, being drunk around both Percy and Jason, two guys that Nico had once crushed on (which he had admitted to, in Percy’s case, and refused to ever acknowledge, in Jason’s), Nico had always felt some sort of dumb need to impress them. They’d both caught on to that need when Nico was still a junior, and learned that drunk Nico </span>
  <em>
    <span>never</span>
  </em>
  <span> backed down from a dare. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Which was how Nico had already found himself dared to take a running leap over the campfire, and to drink whatever horrible concoction Percy had mixed together. Thankfully the fire came first, because Nico definitely wouldn’t have survived that jump after downing that suspicious liquid that tasted mostly like tequila. And after that, Will had forced him to switch to water. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I dare you to…” Percy trailed off as his head tipped back, suddenly distracted by the stars overhead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jump in the lake!” Jason exclaimed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, dude, yeah, let’s all do that!” Percy agreed, stumbling to his feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Annabeth said from across the fire, where all of the female counselors were chatting quietly and - at least appearing - much more sober than the guys. “The lake’s too far away, and Nico can’t swim.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t swim?” Will asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico raised a finger to his own lips with a harsh </span>
  <em>
    <span>shh!</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Chiron doesn’t know! You’re gonna get me fired!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Chiron knows,” Reyna called out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, shit, I’m gonna lose my job,” Nico said, and dropped his head onto Will’s shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I dare you to kiss Will!” Leo called out across the circle, and Jason leaned over for a fist bump.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good one, dude! Nico hates PDA, there’s no </span>
  <em>
    <span>way</span>
  </em>
  <span> he’ll do this one,” Jason said, and then there were a lot of pairs of eyes on Nico, too many to count, and he certainly wasn’t going to try to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He lifted his head, and saw that Will looked nervous. “Um, you really don’t have to if--” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico grabbed a fist full of Will’s shirt and pulled him down into a kiss that had their noses bumping unpleasantly, but at least he didn’t accidentally bash their foreheads together. When Nico pulled away, he grinned at Will who had turned a very pretty pink in the glow of the fire, and then turned to the others to announce, “You call that a dare? Try a little harder next time.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Percy’s head had tipped back again, and Nico wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d missed the kiss entirely. “I dare you to climb that tree,” Percy said, pointing upward though his hand kept moving, so it would have been impossible to pinpoint exactly which one he was referring to. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s a little dangerous, don’t you think?” Will asked, though Nico was already on his feet. He only swayed a little bit, which Nico took as a good sign, but he ended up stumbling when he started to walk away because Will caught his wrist. “Don’t you think that’s too dangerous?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico rolled his eyes. “Babe, please, I can do </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> He leaned in for another kiss before he marched off toward the nearest tree, definitely not in the direction Percy had been pointing at all. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The lowest branch was a few feet over Nico’s head, so he had to jump a few times in order to reach it and get a good enough hold that he could manage to swing himself up onto it. Once he was sitting on the branch with his back to the tree’s trunk, he smiled to himself and called out, “Ha! Could a </span>
  <em>
    <span>twink</span>
  </em>
  <span> do </span>
  <em>
    <span>that?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo’s voice responded, “Go, white boy, go!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a huff, he continued to climb. He wasn’t sure how much longer it was before Percy shouted, “Hey, how high are you?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m drunk, not high,” Nico shouted back, swatting at bunches of leaves to try to see down toward the fire, but he couldn’t find it. Maybe he was so high up that the fire would just look like a tiny dot, like a star but on the ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Actually, now that he was looking around, Nico realized that he couldn’t really see much of anything. How had he even managed to climb that high without being able to see?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nico?” Will’s voice called from below, sounding much closer than all of the others had been.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you climb back down? You’re making me anxious.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh. Yeah, sure.” Now he just had to figure out how to do that. He sat down on the branch he was on, and kicked one leg out until it made contact with another branch, then slowly made his way down with that process for a short distance. When he couldn’t kick any more branches, he peered around until he could find the fire again. Then, he looked down, and there was Will, watching him nervously, though Nico had a feeling that Will couldn’t actually make out the shape of him in the dark. “I see you,” Nico sang quietly and then broke out into a laugh. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please be careful,” Will told him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am!” Nico tried to use his newfound ability to see in order to find another branch, though none were close enough that he could step on them. However, that one over there was just a short jump away…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico stood on his current branch, one hand on the trunk of the tree to help him balance, and he hopped over to the next branch. He stuck the landing at first, but as soon as he turned to call out, </span>
  <em>
    <span>did you see that?</span>
  </em>
  <span> he slipped. He caught the branch with his fingers, scraping his palms across the bark before he slipped again, this time with nothing to catch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t even think a full second passed by the time he hit the ground, his right foot breaking his fall before he rolled with the impact. Nico ended up flat on his back, struggling to blink the stars out of his eyes before he realized that those stars were in the sky.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One blink, he was alone, and the next, Will was by his side, kneeling in the grass and grabbing Nico’s face. “Are you okay? Nico, can you hear me? Are you hurt anywhere?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Actually, yeah, now that he mentioned it, Nico’s palms were stinging, and his foot was throbbing, so in response, he said, “Ow.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m gonna pick you up, okay, and we’re gonna go to the infirmary,” Will told him. “Let me know if I hurt you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>An arm slid under Nico’s knees and another around his shoulders, and then Nico was being lifted off the ground. He tried to wrap his arms around Will’s shoulders to help, but his palms kept rubbing against the fabric of Will’s shirt, so he stopped trying. Instead, he rested his head against Will’s shoulder and said, “Percy was right. Being carried is kind of a turn on.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will glanced down at him. “Oh, now is </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> not the time.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they passed by the campfire, Nico heard the girls asking if he was okay, and when Nico didn’t answer, Will told them, “He’s fine, I think, but I’m taking him to the infirmary just in case.” From the boys’ half of the circle, Nico heard wolf whistles. He ignored them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took Nico longer than he thought it should have for them to reach the infirmary, but then he was laying on Will’s bed, and Will was saying, “Sorry, you might want to cover your eyes,” and then Nico was </span>
  <em>
    <span>blind.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He winced, squeezing his eyes shut and reaching for a pillow to pull over his head, but Will stopped him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, I need to make sure you’re not concussed,” Will told him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico swatted his hands away and cracked open one eye. “I didn’t hit my head.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then where are you hurt?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico held up his palms. They were dirty and covered in a few scratches each, and there was minimal bleeding. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will sighed in relief. “That’s it? You fell, like, ten feet and all you have are a few scratches?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, and my ankle,” Nico said, lifting up his right foot and then dropping it again with a wince. “Ow.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, okay, don’t do that,” Will told him, suddenly rushing to the foot of the bed. He untied Nico’s shoe and carefully slipped it off his foot. Then he rolled up Nico’s pant leg and peeled down his sock. The skin was red and it looked like it had already started to swell. Will placed a hand on Nico’s foot and moved it gently. Nico flinched when he flexed it. “Okay, I think you may have just twisted it, and hopefully that’s all it is. I’m gonna get you some ice and some water, and then we’re gonna go to sleep. As long as it’s not, like, purple and the size of a basketball in the morning, I think we’re good.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will rolled Nico’s sock back up over his ankle before he left the room, and Nico let his eyes slip shut. Now that he wasn’t goofing off and climbing trees, he was starting to get tired. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, don’t fall asleep on me,” Will said as he came back into the room. He had an ice pack in one hand and a solo cup in the other. “Sit up for me,” Will instructed, and waited for Nico to do so before handing him the cup. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Nico sipped at the water, Will turned his focus back to Nico’s foot, propping it up on Will’s duffle bag since he didn’t have an extra pillow and resting it on the ice pack. When Will didn’t look him in the eye for a full sixty seconds, Nico whispered, “Are you mad at me?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will turned toward him immediately, his lips turned down in a frown which was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> what Nico wanted to see. “Of course not,” Will told him, but the frowny lips told Nico otherwise. “Why would I be mad at you?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because I’m an idiot,” Nico said with a huff, leaning heavily against the wall at the head of the bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will sat on the edge of the mattress and set a hand on Nico’s thigh. “You’re not an idiot.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes I am,” Nico argued, his voice echoing in the solo cup as he raised it for another drink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I don’t think you are.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico rolled his eyes. “Well, then, you’re wrong.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will offered him a smile, and Nico felt himself starting to relax at the sight. “You can do stupid things without being an idiot,” Will told him, and Nico tensed again. Make up your mind, Will, do you think he’s an idiot or not?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> think I’m an idiot,” Nico said after a second. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I think you’re drunk.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not drunk,” Nico said defensively, “you’re drunk.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will grinned. “You’re cute.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico’s nose scrunched up. “No, I’m not.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are,” Will insisted, scooting himself further up the bed and moving his hand from Nico’s thigh up to his cheek, stroking his thumb over his cheekbone. “You’re also pretty, and smart, and funny, and I really, </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> like you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico let the words wash over him. Combined with the look in Will’s eyes, they made Nico’s heart skip a beat. Then, he pouted. “You’re just saying all that because you think I’m too drunk and I’ll forget all about this in the morning.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will shook his head. “No way. If you end up forgetting this, then I’m just going to have to say it all again in front of everybody so I have proof.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico’s eyes widened. “Nope,” he said, and then chugged the rest of his water. “Don’t do that, I’ll remember, I promise.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure you will, because I won’t ever let you forget an important conversation while you’re drunk ever again.” Will took the empty cup from Nico’s hand and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Let me go get you some more, and I’ll be right back.” </span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico was surprised at how not-hungover he was in the morning, and with how Will had managed not to kick him off the bed in his sleep. He tried to roll onto his side, hoping for some early morning cuddles since Will was still in bed beside him, but when he lifted his right foot, he winced. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ow,” he whispered, which was apparently the magic word to have Will awake in a </span>
  <em>
    <span>second.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay?” Will was asking before his eyes had even fully opened. “What happened?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s my foot,” Nico told him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will forced himself upright, scrubbing a hand over his face to wake himself up before he turned his attention to Nico’s ankle. Nico propped himself up on his elbows to get a look at whatever Will was seeing, but to Nico it was just a swollen red mess of achy pain. Will set his hands gently against the skin, pressing down at different points and asking if anything hurt. He lightly touched the prominent ankle bones, but Nico didn’t flinch until he put pressure on the muscle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will sighed. “I’m almost certain it’s just a sprain. That’s good.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico pouted. “It doesn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>feel</span>
  </em>
  <span> good.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know,” Will said, and stretched back out across the bed until he was laying beside Nico once more. “But trust me, you would much rather it be sprained than broken.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Will, I don’t even think I’ll be able to walk on it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will’s eyes widened for a second. “Yeah, no, you definitely should not walk on it. You essentially pulled a ligament in your ankle, so you have to let it rest. I’d say you need at </span>
  <em>
    <span>least</span>
  </em>
  <span> two weeks before you can put any weight on it again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico stared at him. “The last session starts </span>
  <em>
    <span>tomorrow.</span>
  </em>
  <span> I can’t be on bed rest for two weeks!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Woah, hey, I didn’t say anything about bed rest,” Will said. “I have a pair of crutches around here somewhere that you can use. I don’t know </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> they’re here, because I would hope Chiron would send home any kid in need of crutches, but whatever. They’re here, and you’re using them.” Will shot him a grin. “That is, unless you’d rather I carry you everywhere. I think I remember you saying last night that being carried was something of a turn on for you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico felt himself flush. “No, no, that’s okay. I’ll use the crutches. You do </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> need to carry me everywhere. That’s embarrassing.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will pouted. “Piggyback rides from your boyfriend are </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> embarrassing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico opened his mouth to reply, but as Will’s words registered in his head, his jaw snapped shut. Wil seemed to catch on just as quickly as Nico had, because his ears started to burn red. “Or, uh, whatever!” Will exclaimed, and sat up quickly. “I’m just gonna go find you those crutches, since you’re gonna need them all the time.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was in the awkward position of having to climb over Nico to get out of bed, but it gave Nico the perfect opportunity to stop Will before he could leave. And if that meant that Will was kneeling over him, straddling his hips, then so be it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico kept a firm grip on Will’s hand and smiled up at him. “Hey, if my boyfriend wants to give me piggyback rides, then who am I to stop him?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took a few seconds for the words to wash over him, but when they did, Will beamed down at him before swooping in for a kiss.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Around half an hour later, the two finally made their way into the cafeteria for breakfast. Will had found the crutches tucked away in some corner of the infirmary, but Nico had opted to let his </span>
  <em>
    <span>boyfriend</span>
  </em>
  <span> carry him, meaning that the pair got a few strange looks as they approached the breakfast table. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will eased Nico off of his back and into a chair, then dragged over an extra so that Nico could elevate his foot - which Will had wrapped before they left, making it very visible to the other counselors that Nico had gotten injured. Will pressed a kiss to Nico’s forehead before telling him that he was going to get coffee for the both of them, and then Will was off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico turned to face the rest of the table, dropping his smile and raising an eyebrow at each of the onlookers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay?” Rachel asked eventually.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, yeah, I’m fine,” Nico said, and then narrowed his eyes in the direction of Percy, Jason, and Leo, who were all conveniently sitting beside each other. “Aside from the fact that </span>
  <em>
    <span>somebody</span>
  </em>
  <span> dared me to climb a tree in the dark while I was drunk, and I fell and sprained my ankle.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo frowned, his head tilting in confusion. “Wait, who did that?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico looked to the women at the table. “Alright, who’s got something I can throw at him?” </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thanks for reading!!</p><p>oh also!! chapter 6 will be posted next friday!! and if its not then feel free to bully me on tumblr @buoyantsaturn until i post it</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Nico had made it incredibly clear how upset he was at having to spend the entirety of the last session on crutches, but there wasn’t much that any of them could do to help him. Leo had been kind enough to give up his seat at the check in table so that Nico at least had the opportunity to sit for the next few hours, but Will could tell by the look on his face that it didn’t make him feel any better about his current state.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Or maybe his ankle was hurting him again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just before check in officially opened, Will jumped up from his seat at the junior check in table and knelt down at Nico’s side, next to the crutches he had leaning up against the table. “How are you feeling?” Will asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico sighed. “As good as I’m gonna be. How long until I can take another pain killer?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will reached out for Nico’s wrist, turning it in his hand until he could check the time on Nico’s watch. He hummed. “Not for another couple of hours, so probably not until after check in. Why, does your ankle hurt that bad already? I probably have time to get you an ice pack, if I hurry.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico caught Will’s hand as it started to slip away. “No, I’ll be fine for a couple more hours.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you sure?” Will asked with a frown, tipping his head to the side. “I can find you another chair to rest your foot on, too.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico smiled, rolling his eyes fondly. “I’m fine. You worry too much.” Will pouted, so Nico squeezed his hand. “Go back to your own table. I’ll shout for you if I need anything.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will stood and gave Nico’s hand a squeeze in return before he started back toward the junior check in table. He trailed his fingers across Nico’s shoulders as he passed behind him and said, “Rachel, please keep an eye on him. Don’t let him put</span>
  <em>
    <span> any </span>
  </em>
  <span>weight on that foot, okay?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rachel offered him a salute. “Aye aye, captain.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will reclaimed his own seat next to Reyna, though he kept glancing back toward Nico and Rachel, who kept shoving at each other as they shot teasing remarks back and forth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was pulled back to his assigned partner when Reyna coughed rather loudly into her fist, as though trying to cover up the word </span>
  <em>
    <span>simp.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will frowned at her. “Did you say something?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She waved a hand dismissively. “Just a tickle in my throat.” But Will could see the smile in her eyes. He didn’t have the chance to argue before somebody stepped up to the table to check in. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He kept looking toward Nico periodically, and it seemed like every time he did, Nico was explaining to a new set of parents that </span>
  <em>
    <span>yes, he’d sprained his ankle and no, it didn’t hurt that bad,</span>
  </em>
  <span> and Will could see that he was getting irritated. He’d even heard Nico leaning toward Rachel in between check-ins to say, “If one more parent asks what happened, I’m going to throw a crutch at somebody.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’d barely heard Rachel’s response of, “Uh huh, sure you will,” before another parent had stepped up to the table to ask what had happened. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The smile on Nico’s face was visibly strained, and Will was half tempted to move the crutches out of his reach, and only managed to stop himself because it would effectively strand Nico in that spot. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will watched when, as soon as the family turned away from them, Nico slammed his head down on the table. Rachel patted his shoulder and said, “You should’ve just made a sign.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Will was happy to carry Nico around camp whenever he needed, and he was almost certain he’d made that clear, but Nico still insisted on hobbling down to the beach for canoeing. He practically had to run to keep up with his kids, and he was so out of breath that he couldn’t even shout for them to slow down any more, relying on Will to do it instead. Will was pretty sure they weren’t even halfway to the lake yet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When he couldn’t take it any longer, Will stepped in front of Nico and placed his hands on his arms. “What are you doing?” Nico asked, panting and frowning up at him. “I’m gonna lose a kid.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Give me these,” Will said, taking the crutches and leaving Nico balancing on his left foot. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But--” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will turned his back and crouched down. “C’mon, Nico, you’re never going to make it to the beach otherwise.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine,” Nico huffed, and draped himself over Will’s back. Once he was settled with his arms around Will’s shoulders, Will handed him the crutches to hold onto so that Will could hook his hands under Nico’s knees. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good?” Will asked, and Nico hummed an affirmative, so Will started walking. It didn’t take him long at all to catch up with the kids. “You know, we probably could’ve taken the golf cart.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico’s lips were pressed to the side of Will’s neck as he spoke. “I think Chiron has the keys. Besides, then the kids would fight over who got to ride with us, and trust me, that’s not worth it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> tell Chiron you sprained your ankle, didn’t you?” Nico’s arms tightened around his shoulders. “Nico--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If I had, he would’ve just sent me home,” Nico argued. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No he wouldn’t, you can’t even drive right now,” Will said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico puffed a breath against Will’s neck. “Please. As if you’ve never driven with your left foot instead of your right.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nico, I seriously cannot stress how much I don’t think you should do that--” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The past is in the past, William.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They made it down to the lake much quicker than they would have had Nico stayed on his feet. In a matter of minutes, the boys from cabin thirteen were mingling with those from cabin nine, and Will was setting Nico down near the canoe rack. There was a good chance that Nico would stay on dry land, considering he wouldn’t have a very easy time carrying a canoe, let alone getting in and out of one, which meant that Will would probably have to take his place. Not that he minded, of course.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Will turned away and started toward the cluster of campers, he heard Leo call out, “Dude, you’re so </span>
  <em>
    <span>whipped.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s called being </span>
  <em>
    <span>nice,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Valdez,” Nico told him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Leo crossed his arms and grinned. “And what would you know about that?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“More than you,” Nico shot back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, is that what you think?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s that supposed to mean?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Guys, please,” Will cut in, his first concern being an attempt by either of them to escalate the argument and causing Nico to accidentally put weight on his bad foot. What he hadn’t expected was for both pairs of eyes to turn on him in a second. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Leo’s grin turned maniacal. “Alright, alright,” he said, his voice feigning casualness as he wandered toward Will. “I guess me and Will are just gonna have to spend a </span>
  <em>
    <span>lot</span>
  </em>
  <span> of quality time together this afternoon.” He hooked his arm through Will’s with more force than was necessary, and gave him a tug. “C’mon, Sunny Boy, you’re with me today.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nico looked upset, but Will couldn’t figure out why. Was it because he’d hung out with Leo the day before? Was he jealous? Could that really be all it was?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were in the arts and crafts tent, sitting at the same table as most of Nico’s campers, which didn’t leave them much opportunity for private conversation, but it did give Nico the only real chance he would get at offering help whenever somebody needed it. He’d let out at least three heavy sighs before Will got up the courage to nudge him under the table with his knee and ask, “Are you okay?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico lifted his head, aiming at Will a look of confusion - Will really did love the way his head tilted like that and the way his eyebrows scrunched together. “Yeah, I’m fine. Why?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You seem upset,” Will said. “Since yesterday, since the lake. I’m just worried that, I mean-- Are you jealous?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico snorted. “Jealous? Jealous of what? Why would I be </span>
  <em>
    <span>jealous?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will ducked his head, rubbing awkwardly at the back of his neck. “I dunno, it just seems like… Well, yesterday, at the lake, I spent all that time with Leo, and--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You think I’m jealous of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Leo?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Nico asked with a laugh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will felt his ears starting to burn. “I, uh, I don’t know, I--” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico reached over and grabbed his hand, squeezing it. “I’m not jealous of Leo, Sunshine, but thanks for the laugh. I appreciate it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will ran his thumb across the back of Nico’s hand. “Then what’s up? Clearly there’s something on your mind.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico let out another heavy sigh and turned his gaze toward the group of boys across the table, watching as they painted pictures and wove together bracelets made of string. “I… I’m jealous of </span>
  <em>
    <span>you,</span>
  </em>
  <span> I think.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will frowned. “That...I hung out with Leo?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico smiled, a little melancholic. “No, that you get to run around with the kids - like </span>
  <em>
    <span>you’re</span>
  </em>
  <span> their counselor instead of me. I’m just the idiot who went and got hurt, and now I feel like I’m missing out on everything.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But you’re not missing out, you’re right here. And it’s a good thing you are, because I don’t know anything about being a counselor. If it were up to me, we’d never get to activities on time, and I would’ve gotten everybody lost in the woods somewhere on day one.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I really am concerned by your inability to read a map.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And that’s why you’re the brains of the operation here,” Will told him, smiling bright. “Just consider me your hands and feet for the time being. We already make a pretty good team, if I do say so myself.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico leaned his shoulder against Will’s, still holding his hand firmly under the table. “Well, even temporary, brainless hands and feet of counselors need to go through some sort of training.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s that supposed to mean?” Will asked. “And I never said I was </span>
  <em>
    <span>brainless.</span>
  </em>
  <span> I did get into medical school, after all.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve pretty much already failed one of the most important tests to become a counselor,” Nico continued, as though he hadn’t heard Will speak, “but maybe if you score high enough on everything else, there will still be </span>
  <em>
    <span>some</span>
  </em>
  <span> hope for you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will sighed. “Let me guess, step one was--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Reading a map, yeah,” Nico filled in. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever</span>
  </em>
  <span> going to let that go?” Will asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico grinned. “Sure. When it stops being funny. So! Other steps toward becoming a counselor, both official and unofficial. You’ve passed the actual most important test, which is being good with kids. The </span>
  <em>
    <span>real</span>
  </em>
  <span> fun steps are the on-the-job tests.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Perfect,” Will said, “I’m a great test-taker.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sure you are,” Nico replied with a teasing glint in his eye. “There are three that I know we could do before the end of the week. You could make a lanyard, teach the kids a new song at the campfire, or write down the instructions on how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s...all it takes to become a counselor?” Will asked skeptically. “Knowing how to make a sandwich?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, no. It’s much more complicated than that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t like the sound of that. “Okay, well, in order to teach a song, I would have to </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> a song, so I think that one’s out, and… I don’t like the way you said that thing about the sandwich, so let’s do the first one, whatever that was.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Making a lanyard,” Nico repeated. “Have you ever made a lanyard before?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A...what?” Will frowned. “Like, the thing you put your keys on?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This is going to be very fun,” Nico told him in a way that it would definitely be fun for Nico, but not necessarily fun for Will. Nico glanced over his shoulder toward the supply shelves. “There should be a few rolls of these, like, hard plastic strips. You’re gonna need to grab two colors, and two strips of each color. Make sure the strips are about arm’s length. Frank should be over there somewhere if you need help, and then bring it all back over here, and I’ll show you what to do. Okay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Four pieces total, two of each color, arm’s length,” Will repeated, and released Nico’s hand as he stood from his seat. “I think I got it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will walked over to the supply shelves, finding the rolls of plastic with little difficulty. He grabbed the roll of orange, taking it out and pulling at the end until it reached the length of his arm, then took a pair of scissors out of the nearby scissor bin to cut. The plastic was hard yet flexible, and flat but wide. He cut another piece to the same length, and then swapped out the roll for another color - black, this time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once he had his four pieces, Will returned to Nico’s side and handed them over. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Interesting color choice,” Nico commented, placing the pieces on the table in an X-shape, overlapping them at the center. “Very Halloween-y. So, the hardest part is getting it started, so I’ll do that much for you, but then you’re on your own for the rest. Watch carefully.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will did, but Nico’s fingers still moved so quickly that Will barely caught what was happening before the plastic strips were suddenly woven together where they had previously just been crossed over each other. “Um, I’m gonna need you to show me that again, a little bit slower this time.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s easy once you get the hang of it, I promise,” Nico told him, bending the pieces together in a pattern, looping them through one another. “You’re just weaving them together. The top will always look like a checkerboard, and the sides will always stay one color. It’s easy. It’s just weaving. Annabeth can knock one of these things out in like, five minutes.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico held it out to him, and Will hesitated to take it from him. He started weaving with clumsy fingers, though the plastic strips kept sliding out of place. Once Will finally managed to loop it together so that the first layer wouldn’t fall apart, he lifted his head and grinned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You got one,” Nico said, smiling back at him. “Only, like, a hundred more to go.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will felt himself deflate, but he refused to give in. “Easy. I’ll have this thing finished in no time.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s the spirit.” Nico grabbed his crutches and pulled himself to his feet. “You do that, and I’m gonna stretch my legs for a few minutes. Just let me know if you need any help.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t go too far,” Will told him, not looking up from the barely-started lanyard in his hands. “And come right back if your ankle starts hurting.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not going anywhere,” Nico assured him from across the table. “Zack, that painting looks really good! Do you wanna tell me about it?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Will was still working on his lanyard the next day while he and Nico sat on the sidelines at the obstacle course. Despite what Nico had said, making the lanyard was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> getting any easier, and he </span>
  <em>
    <span>swore</span>
  </em>
  <span> that it had somehow unwoven itself during the night, because didn’t it look shorter than before?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s good to practice your fine motor skills,” Nico teased when Will let out a huff of frustration. “It’ll help when you’re stitching people up, or whatever.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I doubt I’ll be going into the surgical field,” Will commented. “So I don’t really think this will do me much good in the long run.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then what would you do?” Nico asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will shrugged. “I’m leaning toward pediatrics right now, but that’s probably just because I’ve been around kids for so long. I dunno, something lower stress, probably. I don’t always do great under pressure. Family medicine, maybe.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico leaned back on his hands, stretching his legs out in front of him. “Really? You’ve always seemed like you’d be cool under pressure.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will shook his head, letting out another frustrated stream of air as the plastic slipped out from under his thumb. “No, my anxiety’s kind of terrible. I’m just good at hiding it, most of the time.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Huh.” Nico turned his attention back to the obstacle course. “Well, I think you’d be good at all of it, for what it’s worth.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will lifted his gaze and offered him a smile. “Thanks.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico’s head rolled onto his shoulder, meeting Will’s gaze with a smile of his own. “How’s your lanyard coming?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will huffed again. “It’s comin’.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t sound very happy about it,” Nico said with a laugh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> said it was gonna be easy.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I said it would get </span>
  <em>
    <span>easier.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then you lied, or something, because--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Hey, Will,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Percy’s voice came through his walkie. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m heading to the infirmary, can you meet me there?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will’s eyes widened. “Are you gonna be okay without me for a few minutes?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico rolled his eyes. “I am actually capable of moving around on my own. And Reyna’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>right there </span>
  </em>
  <span>if I really need something.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will pouted. “A </span>
  <em>
    <span>yes</span>
  </em>
  <span> would’ve been fine.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, then yes,” Nico said, grinning at him as Will got to his feet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will grabbed his walkie and said to Percy, “I’m on my way,” and then to Nico, “I’ll be as quick as I can.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t worry about me so much,” Nico told him with a laugh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anxiety,” Will reminded him. “I can’t help it!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With that, he took off toward the infirmary. It wasn’t all that far away, but he didn’t know where Percy was coming from or how close he’d been when he walkied, so Will tried to hurry. He didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>run,</span>
  </em>
  <span> regardless of what any onlookers might have seen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he burst in the door, he found Percy and one of his campers already waiting inside.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dude,” Percy said, looking like he was holding back a laugh, “did you run here?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course not,” Will lied, unable to conceal his heavy breathing from the </span>
  <em>
    <span>light jog</span>
  </em>
  <span> he’d been on. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s chill, man, just take a breath if you need to,” Percy continued. “There’s no rush.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will waved a hand dismissively, going to grab a first aid kit from the cabinet. “I’m fine. I was helping at the obstacle course, so I should really get back there. Nico can’t exactly run to somebody’s aide, you know?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Percy grinned. “I think he can handle himself for a few minutes. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>has</span>
  </em>
  <span> been a counselor for a couple of years now, after all.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, yeah, of course, I know that,” Will replied, kneeling down in front of the camper and cracking open his first aid kit. “I just...I should really just get back there soon, you know?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, I get it,” Percy assured him, folding his arms over his chest and leaning back against the wall. “Simp.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will paused, glancing up at Percy in confusion. “I-- What?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re a simp!” Percy said again, sounding far too excited considering Will had no idea what he was talking about.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will shook his head. “Repeating it does not tell me what it means.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Percy shrugged. “Nah, I think you get it.” He waved a hand toward his camper. “Now, hurry up! You’ve got simping to do, and I’ve got nature to walk.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“One s’more, made to order,” Will said, handing the treat to Nico at the campfire that weekend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Nico replied, smushing it between his fingers before taking a bite. He hummed in appreciation, and with his mouth still half full, he said, “You’re good at that. That’s another unofficial counselor requirement that I think I forgot about, but you definitely passed.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Glad to hear it,” Will said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Speaking of, how’s your lanyard coming along?” Nico asked before stuffing the rest of his s’more into his mouth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh!” Will reached into his pocket and brought it out - it was maybe halfway finished at about two inches long. “It’s coming along! It still hasn’t really gotten any easier, but at least it’s holding together.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nice, you’re making good progress,” Nico told him. He reached into his pocket and said, “I made this one this morning.” He brought out his own lanyard, at least twice as long as Will’s and made from blue and purple, the strips tied off at the end in a messy sort of knot. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will’s jaw dropped. “You made that </span>
  <em>
    <span>this morning?</span>
  </em>
  <span> I’ve been working on this for </span>
  <em>
    <span>days!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m telling you, practice makes perfect,” Nico told him, laughing as he tucked the lanyard back in his pocket. “As long as you finish yours by next Friday, you’ll pass.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will leaned his shoulder against Nico’s as he put his own lanyard away, rolling his eyes as he replied, “I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> glad I’m going to all this effort to become a counselor. It’s gonna look great on my residency applications.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut up.” Nico elbowed him, then found Will’s hand on the bench between them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will laced their fingers together. “How is your hand </span>
  <em>
    <span>so </span>
  </em>
  <span>sticky after eating a single s’more? You didn’t even make it yourself!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico shrugged. “It’s the curse of marshmallows, I don’t know what you’d expect. Anyway, since we’re here, do you want to check another box off on your counselor training checklist?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will hummed. “I dunno, do I? I haven’t had to do anything mortifying yet, but this is the most public setting we’ve been in so far, so my hopes for not being mortified are dwindling fast.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico snorted. “Okay, if </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> can do all of this stuff, then I’m sure you can, too. Besides, what’s so hard about teaching some kids a new campfire song?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t even know any of the songs that they already sing!” Will exclaimed. “And I’m a </span>
  <em>
    <span>horrible</span>
  </em>
  <span> singer. Trust me, you don’t want to hear that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico gazed up at him with narrow, calculating eyes. “I don’t believe you. I feel like this is the opposite of the situation at the archery range last week. Are you just trying to throw me off because you’re actually a really </span>
  <em>
    <span>good</span>
  </em>
  <span> singer, but you’re shy, or something?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will waved his free hand frantically. “No, no! I </span>
  <em>
    <span>promise</span>
  </em>
  <span> you, I’m not lying this time. I’m actually the worst.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m gonna let you in on a little secret, Sunshine,” Nico told him, squeezing Will’s hand and leaning close to whisper in his ear, “This is summer camp. Nobody can sing at summer camp.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will tilted his head down to the point where he could feel Nico’s hair brushing against the bridge of his nose. He whispered, “That’s not going to convince me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico sighed overdramatically, dropping his head onto Will’s shoulder. “Unbelievable. You would trade your future career as a camp counselor for five minutes where you </span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>have to sing in front of children. I don’t think this is going to work out between us, that’s just too big of a sacrifice.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will squeezed his hand, struggling to hold back his laughter as he replied, “But it’s one that I’m willing to make.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico snorted, and tucked his head against Will’s chest to smother his giggles. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And besides,” Will continued, “I haven’t seen a </span>
  <em>
    <span>single</span>
  </em>
  <span> junior do any of this stuff all summer. How do I know you’re not messing with me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico lifted his head again, straightening up and looking as though he was trying not to look so snuggled up to Will, though he didn’t shift away or release his hand. “Nobody here has any interest in becoming a counselor. Hazel’s the only one who has the intention of becoming a counselor, and she did all of this stuff last summer to get it out of the way. I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> messing with you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will’s eyes narrowed, but Nico only smiled back at him. Clearly he didn’t look as intimidating as Nico did when he gave people that look. Or maybe Nico just saw right through him. Will leaned around Nico to Reyna who was sitting beside him and called out, “Hey, Reyna, do you have to do a bunch of dumb, ‘unofficial tests’ in order to become a counselor? Like--” Will scrambled to pull the lanyard out of his pocket again, showing it off. “Like making one of these, and teaching campfire songs?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Reyna raised an eyebrow, exchanging a glance with Nico before saying, “Of course. And there’s a lot more to it than just that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will’s gaze dropped back to Nico, about to express his doubts once again that any of this was true, before Percy shot up from beside Reyna. “Oh, Will, are you doing counselor training stuff? Have you done the peanut butter and jelly sandwich thing yet? Because that one was the </span>
  <em>
    <span>worst!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Reyna looked at him with a satisfied smile, like she knew that Will wouldn’t believe them. “Seriously, don’t let Annabeth test you on that one. You’ll never pass.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>For the last week, Will had followed Nico through the line in the cafeteria with two trays of food, but that day around lunchtime, Nico’s ankle was giving him more problems than usual. Will had left him at table thirteen with his foot propped up on an extra chair as he led Nico’s campers through the lunch line, fetching lunch for both himself and Nico.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When he brought the kids back to table thirteen, he set the two trays down on the table, one in front of Nico and the other in front of the chair where Nico’s foot sat. “Okay, so, I wasn’t sure what you might want, so I got you mac and cheese, and an apple, and a salad. But if you don’t want any of that, then we can swap, or I can grab you something else.” Will lifted Nico’s foot off the chair and took a seat, allowing Nico’s calf to rest on his thigh. “How’s your ankle?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hurts,” Nico told him plainly, bending forward and swapping the salad on his tray for the plate of fries on Will’s. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess I should’ve seen that coming,” Will muttered, smiling at Nico as he popped a fry in his mouth. Will unlaced Nico’s sneaker and carefully slipped it off his foot so that he could check Nico’s ankle. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ew!” one of the boys at the table shrieked as Will bent over to set Nico’s shoe on the floor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re trying to eat, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Will,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> another camper said. They’d all gotten much more comfortable around him than any of the campers in the past, though Will figured that was just because Will - as Nico had said the week before - was almost just as much their counselor as Nico was. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t eat when I’m smelling Nico’s stinky foot!” another exclaimed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico rolled his eyes with so much force that his head tipped back a little bit. “If I can manage to sleep in the same cabin as all of you and </span>
  <em>
    <span>your</span>
  </em>
  <span> stinky feet, then I think you’ll survive two minutes of Will making sure my ankle isn’t broken.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t be so overdramatic,” Will told him, running a finger along the bottom of Nico’s foot, causing him to flinch, and then cry out when he stressed his ankle. “Sorry, sorry!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ow,” Nico muttered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” Will said again, and lifted Nico’s leg off his lap so that he could stand. “Let me get you some ice and some pain killers, and I’ll be right back, okay?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He carefully set Nico’s foot back on the chair before he took off, running all the way to the infirmary and back as fast as he could. He was all the way back in the mess hall before he realized that he hadn’t grabbed any sort of cloth with which to wrap the ice pack.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he approached the table, he overheard one of Nico’s campers say, “Is Will your best friend?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will could hear the smile in his voice when Nico replied, “He’s something like that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, he must really like you,” another boy said with a shrug, “if he’s running all over just to get you an ice pack.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That just means he’s good at his job,” Nico told them. “He’d do the same for anybody else at camp because he’s a good person.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> a good person?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will set the bottle of pain killers down in front of Nico and said, “He pretends not to be, but he is.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico huffed and picked up the bottle. “Way to blow my cover, Solace.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Take two of those,” Will said quickly, shedding the flannel he was wearing. Then he smiled and said, “Always happy to help.” He wrapped the ice pack in his own shirt before he settled back into his chair with Nico’s foot propped up on his leg, resting on the ice pack. Will’s thigh was about to get </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> cold, but it was worth it for Nico to feel better because of it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He caught Nico watching him as he started to eat the salad that had been swapped onto his tray. “What?” Will asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico’s eyes flickered up from where they appeared to be studying the sleeve of his shirt. “You should wear those flannels less often.” Will grinned as Nico’s cheeks started to color, as though realizing just what had actually come out of his mouth. “I mean, why </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> you wear those flannels so often?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Sure you did,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Will thought. “It’s a habit. I always layered up when I had to wear a binder to try to hide the bulk, and now it’s just too ingrained in my fashion sense.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But you’re-- </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> so hot. Don’t you get warm?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re forgetting that I’m from Texas,” Will said with a smirk. Maybe he should forget the overshirt a little more often if this was how Nico reacted. He’d almost forgotten that Nico had a thing for his arms. Will leaned closer to him and lowered his voice so that only Nico could hear when he said, “Quit staring and eat your lunch, </span>
  <em>
    <span>darlin’.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Will plucked a fry off of his plate and ate it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine,” Nico said, glaring at him as if that would undercut the bright blush on his cheeks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will watched as Nico dipped a french fry into his mac and cheese. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s disgusting,” Will told him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>delicious,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Nico replied, and popped the fry into his mouth.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The path leading back to the capture the flag field was too rough for Nico to manage on his crutches - especially not after he’d struggled through the nature walk the week before and ended up with a few new bruises - which meant that Will carried him all the way across camp on his back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Unfortunately, Will still had a job to do, so when Will set Nico on the ground at his usual spot on the sideline, he had to start making his rounds. Before he could get far, though, Nico called out, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Wait!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will was back at his side in an instant. “What’s wrong? Is it your ankle?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have to help them hide the flag.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took Will’s brain a few seconds to catch up, to switch out of Doctor Mode. “I…What?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Me and Percy always hide the flags,” Nico reminded him. “I can’t do that this time, so you have to do it for me. And find out where Percy’s putting his flag!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I thought you were in </span>
  <em>
    <span>pain,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Will said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I will be if we lose this game, Solace, now go before you miss everything!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So Will went with a roll of his eyes. He jogged up to the gathering of counselors to find out that Nico had apparently enlisted Frank in hiding the flag as well, and together they came up with a pretty decent idea of where to hide their flag. Then, all it took was a couple of minutes of pestering to get Percy to offer up a vague location for his own flag, and the game was on. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will started his rounds on Percy’s side of the field, keeping an eye out for injuries and chatting with some of the counselors before he started making his way back toward Nico. His boyfriend was waiting right where he’d left him, sitting criss-cross on the ground with his right leg sticking out a little ways to avoid any unnecessary pressure on his sprain. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Really, Will should have stayed on his feet the entire time, because an injury could happen in the blink of an eye and he needed to be ready, but was it such a crime to sit beside his boyfriend for a moment?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey,” Nico greeted with a smile. “How did it go?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, you could’ve told me that you got Frank to do your bidding, too,” Will told him. “We came up with a pretty good spot, I think. Obviously nothing as good as what you might come up with, of course.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right, well, how could you?” Nico agreed. “So, you know where Percy’s flag is, right?” Will nodded. “Then are you going to tell anybody where it is?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ah. Will really should’ve seen that coming. “You’re going to make me cheat? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Nico,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> he whined, “don’t make me cheat!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico laughed at his overdramatics. “It’s part of the game, Will!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then I’ll just tell you, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> can tell the kids,” Will tried. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico leveled him with a look that </span>
  <em>
    <span>dripped</span>
  </em>
  <span> with disappointment. “You would make a horrible criminal.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Good.” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have to do it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I don’t!” Will exclaimed. “Why can’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> do it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico grinned. “Because I’m on very strict orders from my doctor to stay in this spot until the end of this game, and to not put any weight on my foot, like, ever again.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> what I said,” Will told him with a huff, and it when it became clear that Nico wasn’t going to budge - although Will knew from the very start that that was never going to happen - he rolled his eyes. “Alright, fine. What am I supposed to say?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just give the kid some vague line about where the flag is,” Nico explained. “Vague like a riddle, but not as confusing. Don’t give it all away.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So like a hint.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, like a hint.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will frowned. “So I can just say that it’s across the creek and to the left.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico shrugged. “If that’s where it is, yeah.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s hardly anything!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know,” Nico replied, starting to laugh. “That’s why I haven’t understood your refusal to cheat this entire time, when it’s so easy and fun.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fun.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Will got to his feet. “So, just pick a kid?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not just any kid,” Nico told him. “Go for one that’s more on the outskirts, someone that maybe doesn’t look like they’re being included by the other kids. If you tell them, it gives them an ‘in’ with the other kids.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will nodded. “Got it.” He paused for a moment, scanning the field to see a few different huddles of campers who seemed to be waiting for an opportune moment to charge forward. Then he saw a little girl - from Rachel’s cabin, he was pretty sure - standing off to the side by herself. Either she was the only one willing to play defense, or she was very reluctant to be playing offense. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will approached her, smiling and offering a wave when she noticed him. He knelt down in front of her and said, “Hey, do you wanna know where the other team’s flag is?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girl’s eyes widened. “Are you gonna tell me?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can give you a hint,” Will said. “It’s hanging from a low tree branch all the way in the back corner. Annabeth should be standing nearby. Will that help?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah!” the girl exclaimed, and darted forward for a quick hug. “Thank you!” She ran off toward the nearest group of campers to share the hint, and watched with a smile as she was immediately accepted into their group. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He turned to walk back to Nico, who simply said, “Well?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will shrugged, dropping down to sit beside Nico once again. “I guess it wasn’t so bad.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“See?” Nico bumped him with his shoulder, smiling up at him. “Proud of you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will rolled his eyes. “Sure.” He draped an arm around Nico’s shoulders, reveling in the contact for just a moment with a contented hum. “Who would’ve thought that working at a summer camp of all places would absolutely destroy my moral code?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Every other session had ended with some sort of celebratory relaxation on the counselors’ part, but this week, as soon as the camp emptied out, every counselor took off in a different direction. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s going on?” Will asked as he walked beside Nico toward cabin thirteen, following his much slower pace whereas the rest of the counselors had basically run for the hills. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s cleaning day,” Nico answered simply.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh,” Will responded, though it took him a few seconds to actually register the words. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Because...summer’s over.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico wouldn’t look over at him, but he nodded. “We all have to be out of here by Sunday afternoon, and sometimes cleaning can take a while. And I can only imagine that it’ll take even longer on crutches.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t tell if you actually think I won’t help you or if this is your very subtle way of asking.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finally, Nico looked at him, though only a glance out of the corner of his eye. “I’ll help you clean the infirmary if you help me clean my cabin.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will took a few quick steps ahead of him and opened the door to cabin thirteen. As Nico started up the couple of steps, Will pressed a kiss to his cheek. “You’ve got yourself a deal.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He followed Nico inside. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, what needs to be done?” Will asked, helping the door shut quietly behind him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sweeping is the big thing,” Nico told him, crossing the cabin to prop his crutches against the wall. “Checking under the beds for trash, and then flipping the mattresses up on their sides. If you could sweep, I can do the rest.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure,” Will answered. “Broom?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico pointed at the wall to Will’s left. “Closet right beside you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will opened the closet and took out the broom and dustpan that were tucked inside. “You better not put any weight on your foot,” Will told him as he started toward the back corner, close to where Nico was carefully lowering himself onto his hands and knees in order to look under the beds.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not,” Nico told him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They moved around the cabin in relative silence, and it wasn’t until Nico had stood to start flipping up mattresses that Will heard a quiet, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Ow.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nico?” Will said, pausing his sweeping to look for his boyfriend. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m fine,” Nico told him, popping up from between two of the beds. He hopped on his left foot toward one of the beds and propped the mattress up against the wall. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you put weight on your foot?” Will asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” Nico said immediately, and then, “Maybe.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe you should take a seat. I can prop up all the mattresses after I finish sweeping.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico hopped to the next bed. “I said I’m fine,” he assured him, already starting to sound out of breath. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will finished sweeping a few minutes later, emptying the dustpan out into the dirt before returning the broom and dustpan to the closet. Then he went around to help Nico prop up the mattresses, tackling the top bunks while Nico finished with the bottoms. Once they finished, Nico dropped heavily onto his own still made-up bed to catch his breath, and Will sat down beside him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s one cabin down,” Will said, winding an arm around Nico’s back as he leaned into Will’s side.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That just leaves the infirmary, all of the activity sheds, the mess hall, the arts and crafts tent, and cabin eight,” Nico said. “Oh, and probably cabins eleven and twelve, too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s...a lot more than I was expecting,” Will commented.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico hummed in agreement. “But those can wait a few more minutes.” Nico wound his own arm around Will’s back, the other circling his front until he had Will in something of a side hug, his head pillowed on Will’s shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will rubbed his hand up and down Nico’s back. “Do you want to sleep over again tonight?” Nico nodded, rubbing his cheek against Will’s chest. “We could pack up all of your stuff, and that way you won’t have to come back to clean again later.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, that’s a good idea,” Nico whispered, though he still didn’t let go for a few more seconds.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cleaning the infirmary took a lot longer, though that was mostly due to the fact that Will had to take stock of what would still be usable the next summer, and make a list so that Chiron knew what would be needed for next year. Nico had helped him with that first, writing down the names and numbers of things that Will shouted out, and checking boxes on the pre-made list that Chiron had supplied Will with. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When they finally moved on from that, heading into Will’s room to straighten things up, Nico sat down on the edge of Will’s bed and asked, “Did you end up finishing your lanyard? Today’s your last chance.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will grinned and plunged his hand into his pocket. “I think so! I just need help tying off the ends.” He reached into his other pocket when his hand came up empty, but he couldn’t find the lanyard there either. “Where did it go?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you lose it?” Nico asked, looking like he was trying to appear sympathetic while also trying not to laugh. “You finally managed to finish it, and you lost it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t laugh, this is a tragedy!” Will wailed, moving to flop down beside him. “I think this is the first time I’ve ever failed a test.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was hardly a </span>
  <em>
    <span>real</span>
  </em>
  <span> test,” Nico told him. He started digging around in his own bag, which he’d brought over after they’d finished packing up his things in cabin thirteen. “Besides, I believe you. Here.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He held a finished lanyard out to Will, a mix of bright yellow and pale blue, complete with a metal clip through one end so that he could easily hook it into his car keys. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re...giving me one of yours?” Will asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Nico said with a shrug, dropping his gaze to his bag as he zipped it shut. “You worked hard on yours, but you have nothing to show for it, so… Quit looking at me like that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will was gazing at Nico with a dopey smile, clutching the lanyard in his hand. He’d turned onto his side and was propping his chin up on his hand. “Like what?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> what,” Nico told him. He dropped his bag into the floor and shoved at Will’s shoulder with his other hand, knocked Will onto his back once more. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Like he’d bounced off a spring, Will launched himself forward, pressing Nico back against the mattress. He pressed his lips to Nico’s and whispered a </span>
  <em>
    <span>thank you</span>
  </em>
  <span> before he felt like all of the air was knocked out of his lungs. The way Nico was looking at him made Will feel like there was a hand around his heart that was </span>
  <em>
    <span>squeezing.</span>
  </em>
  <span> There was so much affection in Nico’s eyes, but some sort of sadness too, and Will just wanted to kiss him until any and all traces of that sadness completely disappeared. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But first he needed to catch his breath.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stop looking at me like that,” Will whispered, his smile stretching his lips so wide that it almost hurt. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut up,” Nico replied with an uncharacteristic softness to his voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will kissed him again, and then rolled off of him, onto his side. He held up the lanyard between them. “You know, this means I’m one step closer to becoming the best counselor this camp has ever seen. You better watch yourself next year, because I’m coming for your crown.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico rolled his eyes, but that affectionate look remained. “Sure you are, Sunshine, but you’ve still got more tests to pass first. Maybe…” Nico’s gaze flickered away for half a second, and Will saw that that sadness had made a reappearance, stronger now than it had been before. “Maybe tomorrow we can try the peanut butter and jelly sandwich thing, and then if you pass, we can consider your counselor training complete.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will reached up and brushed his fingers across Nico’s cheek. “I’d like that,” he whispered. “But we should probably head out and help with the rest of the cleaning first.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Will learned on Saturday that the “peanut butter and jelly sandwich thing” really was the stupidest, most difficult, more frustrating thing he’d ever done, and it didn’t help that every counselor aside from Rachel had decided to hang around and watch. He also learned that Reyna was right - Annabeth was quite possibly the </span>
  <em>
    <span>worst</span>
  </em>
  <span> person to proctor that test.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If making a sandwich counted as proctoring. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He watched in horror as Annabeth dipped the wrong end of the knife into the jar of peanut butter, then slathered it across the crusted side of the piece of bread. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is this right?” she asked innocently.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Obviously</span>
  </em>
  <span> not,” Will told her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She slid his written directions back across the table. “Then </span>
  <em>
    <span>obviously,</span>
  </em>
  <span> you need to try again.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s even the point of this?” Will shouted, and it didn’t help when the other counselors only laughed at his frustration.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It teaches patience,” Annabeth explained, “and problem solving. And it’s also a constant reminder that kids can be irritating.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And that your directions might make sense to you, but not to everyone else,” Piper added. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Nico?” Will reached over and took Nico’s hand in his. “I hate you for making me do this.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure you do,” Nico replied. “And no, I’m not helping.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will dropped his head onto the table with a groan.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It took around six tries for Will to finally succeed, during which time the counselors had gone in shifts to grab snacks, Annabeth had run out of bread in that loaf, and Leo and Percy had gotten bored and decided to leave to start that night’s bonfire a little earlier than usual.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When he finally succeeded, Will was rewarded with the sandwich Annabeth had made and, once the crowd had dispersed, a kiss from Nico. The group all ventured outside together, joining up with Leo and Percy around the fire. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will had allowed Nico to go without his crutches that morning, since Will wouldn’t be there to watch over him after they left the next day and wanted to make sure Nico would be okay without him. He still had a bit of a limp, and he walked slower than everyone else, but aside from that Will knew he would manage just fine. He shouldn’t need a visit to the hospital, at least. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not long after they all gathered around the fire did Rachel finally join them after having locked herself away in the arts and crafts tent all day. She stood at one end of the circle with a ziplock bag in hand and a tired smile on her face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They’re finally done,” she said, and a cheer went up from the circle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What is it?” Will whispered in Nico’s ear. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico shot him a grin. “The beads.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rachel started around the circle as she continued to talk, reaching into the bag and handing something to everyone in the circle. “The design for this year’s bead was unanimous. Well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>almost</span>
  </em>
  <span> unanimous.” She shot a look at Leo.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” he asked. “It’s my first year, too! Maybe I wanted it to be about </span>
  <em>
    <span>me.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rachel handed him a cord along with his bead, then continued on. “Anyway, everyone agreed that there was one thing about this summer that made it unique to every other year.” She stopped in front of Will, holding out a simple black cord and a painted yellow bead, smiling brightly as she said, “That’s you, Will.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will lifted his gaze from her hand, not yet reaching out to take. “What?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico took the items from Rachel’s hand, expertly threading the bead onto the cord and standing to move behind Will. He tied the necklace loosely around Will’s neck. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You were the most important thing about this summer,” Rachel told him. “We’ve all known each other for years, and there have been medics and juniors who’ve come and gone, but nobody’s ever broken into our friend group quite like you have. And it’s a pretty big feat to get Nico to smile as often as you have.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As soon as he was sure that Nico wasn’t still working on tying the cord around his neck, Will jumped to his feet and pulled Rachel into a hug. “Thank you,” he told her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She hugged him back, patting his shoulder as she started to pull away. “Hey, I just make the beads. It was everybody else that voted.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You never even asked me,” Will realized.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rachel shrugged. “Didn’t need to. Everybody else beat you to it. Besides, it was pretty obvious.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will took his seat again, and Nico joined him as Rachel continued handing out beads. Frank got a cord with his as well, and Reyna helped him tie it in place. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico was working on untying his own necklace to add the new bead, but Will stopped him. “Can I see it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico placed the bead in the palm of his hand. Will rolled it with the index finger of his other hand until he could see the painted design - an orange sun that looked exactly like… “That’s my tattoo,” Will whispered, feeling tears starting to prick at the corners of his eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That it is,” Nico said, taking his bead back and lacing his fingers with Will’s. “I guess that means you’re pretty memorable, Sunshine.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will wound his free arm around Nico and held him close, hiding his face in Nico’s shoulder until he was sure he would be able to hold back his tears. “I’m gonna hug everyone here </span>
  <em>
    <span>so much.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh good, so that means you’ll stop hanging off me sometime soon?” Nico deadpanned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will muttered, “You like it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico wrapped his own arm around Will’s back, his hand still clutching the yellow bead. “You wish.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nico was clingier than ever before on Sunday morning, refusing to get out of bed until Reyna walkied to announce that he was heading out early. Still, Nico wouldn’t stray far enough away from Will to let go of his hand, at least not for longer than it took to hug Reyna goodbye. Nico’s hand gripped Will’s tighter as Reyna’s car drove off toward the road, and he was the first to head toward the mess hall, tugging Will behind him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They all shared a table at breakfast, reminiscing the summer’s funniest moments. Naturally, seeing as they were all Nico’s best and closest friends, Will received something of a group shovel talk from half of them, while the other half seemed to be doing their best to humiliate Nico to death. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All the while, Will held Nico’s hand under the table. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Piper and Leo were the next to leave, as Piper had a flight to catch back to Los Angeles, though she refused to leave without first getting Will’s phone number. As always, Piper was the only one to remember to charge her phone before leaving camp for any reason, so she handed it over so that Will could input his contact information. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After the two of them left, everyone else went to finish packing and cleaning. Nico followed Will back to the infirmary and dropped onto Will’s bed, pulling him down with him. Nico hid his face in Will’s chest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t want this to end,” Nico whispered as Will trailed a hand up and down Nico’s back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It doesn’t have to,” Will promised him. “So what if we’ll be on opposite sides of the country? We’ll have our phones in the real world, and computers with cameras on them so that we can still see each other whenever we want.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico took a deep breath. “I’m going to miss you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll miss you, too,” Will said, and he dropped a kiss onto the top of Nico’s head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico started to pull back. He brushed his fingers across Will’s cheeks and drew him down for a kiss that felt like everything else Will wanted to say but didn’t have the words for. Their legs tangled together and Will pulled Nico as close as he could possibly be because that was all they were going to have for...who knew how long.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Nico finally broke the kiss, his eyes locked with Will’s and his hands stayed framing Will’s face. “Will, I…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He waited, but the rest of the words never came. Will smiled. He knew, and he knew that neither of them were ready to admit it, but putting a time limit on things made it all feel so necessary. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But it wasn’t, because Will already knew.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m gonna need your phone number,” Will told him with a soft smile, reaching up to brush a lock of hair behind Nico’s ear. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico exhaled. “Right.” He sat up and draped himself sideways across Will as he reached for his bad where it sat on the floor. He took out whatever paper he could find - his own copy of the camp handbook, from what it looked like to Will - and ripped off the corner of a page. Then he took out a pen and wrote down a series of numbers, followed by a small drawing of a heart. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Here,” Nico said, sitting up and holding the slip of paper out to him. “You better not forget to text me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I won’t,” Will promised. He sat up as well, pocketing the paper and pressing another kiss to Nico’s lips. “I might even call.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico’s nose scrunched up at the idea. “Who </span>
  <em>
    <span>calls</span>
  </em>
  <span> anymore?” Will kissed away the wrinkles between his eyebrows and across the bridge of his nose, and then his lips, again and again. “Maybe facetime?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You do know that’s a type of call?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico shoved at his shoulder. “Shut up.” A second later, he had his forehead resting against Will’s, his eyes dropped to his necklace and fingers of one hand grazing the single bead. “You promise you’ll call? As soon as you get home.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I promise.” Will squeezed his hand. “C’mon, we should probably go back outside, spend some more time with your friends.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico nodded, and together they stripped Will’s bed, grabbed their things, and left the infirmary hand in hand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They found the rest of the counselors outside the mess hall, saying goodbye to Jason and Frank before the two got into their own cars to leave. Annabeth, Percy, Grover, and Rachel weren’t far behind. As always, Percy hugged Nico for far too long, and Nico made sure it was known to everyone present. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They all wished Will luck in his first year of medical school. Then, they were gone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That just left Nico and Will. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We could stay here,” Will said, turning to face Nico and holding both of his hands in his own. “I’m pretty good at sneaking around. Chiron will never know we’re here.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Except for the two cars in the parking lot,” Nico said with a roll of his eyes. He squeezed Will’s hands. “No, we should head out. Rip off the bandaid, you know? But there’s one last thing we need to do.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico pulled Will into the mess hall. The chairs had all been stacked against one wall, and the lights were shut off. Nico took him into the staff room. The bulletin board had been cleared off and the coffee maker unplugged. Nico crossed the room and unhooked his walkie from his waist, setting it in one of two empty slots on the charging dock. He turned to Will and held out his hand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will glanced down. The one time he’d forgotten his walkie, and it turned out it was on him all along. He took it in his hand and held it out for Nico, who turned it off and set it down to charge.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Will didn’t cry. He got close a few times while he was driving, but the tears never fell. In about two hours, he was parking his car outside of the apartment he would only live in for another week before he drove across the country to California. He hugged his roommate, Austin, when he got inside, and plugged his phone in before starting a load of laundry.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now that he was back in the real world, he was absolutely exhausted, but he couldn’t even go into his old room to take a nap because Austin had been subletting to help pay rent while Will was away. It meant that Will would have to sleep on the couch for the next week, and would get to rest only on the whims of his roommates when they decided whether they would watch TV with dinner that night or not. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Besides, he had something very important to do before he fell asleep, anyway. He went and sat on the floor next to where his phone was plugged into the wall, and pulled the slip of paper out of his pocket that held Nico’s phone number. As soon as he turned his phone on, though, he realized he wouldn’t need it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will had been added to a group chat with eleven other people, had four new friend requests on snapchat and six new followers on the instagram account he never used. Even a facebook friend request. Piper had clearly made good use of his phone number.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A quick skim of the group chat showed that mostly everyone had arrived home safely, though he wasn’t able to put a name to any of the unknown phone numbers. He sent his own message, letting them all know he’d gotten home about half an hour earlier. Only seconds after he hit send, the chat was flooding with new texts - some saying a simple hello, others naming themselves so that Will could add them to his contacts - and then his phone started ringing. An incoming facetime call from an unknown number. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He accepted the call, already smiling when Nico’s face appeared on his screen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You didn’t call,” Nico said instead of a </span>
  <em>
    <span>hello.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You didn’t give me a chance to,” Will replied. “I just turned my phone on two minutes ago, and it hasn’t stopped buzzing with notifications since. I think it’s Piper’s fault.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re absolutely right,” Nico told him, and then his head tilted to the side. “I miss you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I miss you, too,” Will told him with a sad smile. “It’s definitely going to suck sleeping on a couch for the next week after spending the last two nights with you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico’s nose scrunched up, and Will wanted to kiss those wrinkles away just like he had that morning. “You’re sleeping on a couch? Why?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My roommate gave my room away,” Will explained. “I’m moving out in a week anyway. It’s not that big of a deal.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s your location?” Nico asked suddenly, so much so that Will actually snorted in surprise.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This isn’t a walkie, you know. You can talk to me like a normal person.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know, I--” Nico rolled his eyes. “Will. Send me your location.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will did so, dropping his location into a new text thread with Nico’s still unknown number. “Okay, sent. Why?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico stared so intently at his own screen for a solid minute that Will almost tried to rub the wrinkles off his phone with his thumb. Then, Nico said, “You’re not even an hour away from here.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will laughed in disbelief. “What?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Will.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Google Maps says you’re only </span>
  <em>
    <span>forty-three minutes</span>
  </em>
  <span> away from me,” Nico told him. “Come stay with me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nico--” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have a week before you have to leave, and I have a week before my semester starts. Come spend the week with me, William.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will couldn’t stop laughing. Why couldn’t he stop laughing? “This doesn’t feel like ripping off the bandaid.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t care,” Nico told him. “We have a </span>
  <em>
    <span>week, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Will. A week with no kids and no responsibility, out in the real world. We can </span>
  <em>
    <span>date,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Sunshine! You can...woo my socks off, or whatever you said, and I’ll be able to kiss you goodnight.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will’s heart was pounding in his chest, but at least he’d finally stopped laughing. Now he just had the biggest, dopiest grin on his face. “I’m going to woo you like no camp counselor has ever been wooed before, darlin’.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico’s eyes widened a fraction of an inch. “You’ll come over?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course I will, but I just put my clothes in the laundry, so I’ll be a little while,” Will told him. “Send me your address, and I’ll be there in time to take you out for dinner.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico’s smile matched his. “This almost feels like a stupid idea. Is this a really, </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> stupid idea?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe,” Will told him. “Probably. But I don’t really care.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay. Good. Me neither.” Nico bit his lip. “I’ll see you in a few hours, then.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. I expect to see you in the ugliest shade of orange you have.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hell, no. You’ll see me in real people clothes, and you’ll like it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sure I will.” Will winked at him. “I’ll see you soon.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>An hour later, Will was stuffing his freshly washed and dried clothes right back into his bag. He gave Austin another hug as he headed toward the door. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Woah, wait, you just got here,” Austin reminded him. “Where are you going?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Apparently, my boyfriend lives--” Will checked his phone. “--forty-three minutes from here. Congratulations, man, you get to keep your couch for the week. I’ll let you know when I’m coming back to pick up the last of my stuff, okay?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hang on, you got a boyfriend at </span>
  <em>
    <span>summer camp?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will grinned and patted his ex-roommate’s shoulder. “Clearly you’ve never spent any time at a summer camp before.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>May 30th</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nico pulled onto the long stretch of road that would lead him to camp much earlier in the day than he had the year before, and this time, he wasn’t alone. Hazel sat in the seat beside him, chattering excitedly about her first year as a counselor, her voice rising in volume once she realized just how close they were.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hazel set her hand on Nico’s arm where it rested on the console between them. He knew what she was going to ask before she’d even opened her mouth, because she’d already asked it about twelve times over the last few months - three of which were on that day alone. “You’re sure it’s okay for me to take over cabin eight? I know eleven and twelve are set up for juniors and not campers, but I’m sure we can figure something out by Monday.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I already talked to Chiron,” Nico reminded her. “All of the online sign up forms have you in cabin eight. And I texted Annabeth last week to make sure we could get everything moved out of there to make room for campers. There’s no going back now, even if I wasn’t okay with it - which I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Besides, if I ever need a quiet place to sit where nobody’s going to bother me, I can just go to the infirmary.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hazel squeezed his arm, but didn’t press. He appreciated it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A few minutes later, they turned onto the camp’s driveway, and another couple of minutes found them parking in the sparsely filled lot. Nico recognized just about every car - including Percy’s hundred year old Prius which shouldn’t have even been considered road-worthy anymore - though it would appear that Frank’s minivan had gotten an upgrade to a newer model. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico and Hazel brought their bags with them as they started toward the cabins, both of them leaving their things just inside the door of cabin thirteen before making their way over to cabin eight. They found Annabeth, Percy, and Rachel inside and exchanged hugs and greetings before Nico and Hazel started helping with the cleaning. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re going to be sorting through some of these boxes for a while,” Annabeth told them, “so there might be less time for relaxing on weekends than usual. It turns out Chiron is something of a hoarder, so it seems like we’ll be spending quite a bit of time throwing out a bunch of old or broken equipment.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico found a half-full box and hefted it into his arms. “Where’s it all going?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“For now, the mess hall,” Percy answered, taking his own small stack of boxes and heading out the door. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s our best chance to spread out,” Annabeth explained. “It might make the staff room a bit crowded for the time being, but we’ll figure it out. Just make sure you both have your walkies before they get buried in there.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico felt his eyes narrowing. “If you barricade my only source of caffeine, Annabeth, I swear to--” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As if,” Rachel cut in. “Annabeth would be dead long before you, di Angelo, so you’ve got nothing to worry about.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Except maybe your dangerous addiction to coffee,” Hazel tacked on. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The group took their boxes out of the cabin and started toward the mess hall. They’d gotten about halfway when Nico recognized another handful of familiar faces walking toward them, though he couldn’t even get out a </span>
  <em>
    <span>hello</span>
  </em>
  <span> before Hazel shrieked and dropped the box she was carrying on top of the one in Nico’s arms. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Frank!” he heard her exclaim as he struggled not to lose his balance. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hazel!” Nico called after her, though all he got was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>sorry</span>
  </em>
  <span> and no offer of assistance. At least the combined weight of the boxes wasn’t too heavy, just a bit unpleasant to carry. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Inside the mess hall was, well, a mess. Nico had a hard time believing that even </span>
  <em>
    <span>half</span>
  </em>
  <span> of those boxes had fit inside one tiny cabin, and yet there were somehow still more waiting to be brought over. And after all of that, they still had regular camp cleaning to do. It really was going to be quite the long weekend. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Leo popped up from behind a table covered in boxes and grinned at him. “Nico! Hey, man, come check out all this cool shit I found!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico felt himself starting to smile. “You can’t steal anything you found at camp,” he reminded him, but he was already walking in that direction. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They stopped for the night once the sun began to set behind the trees. Cabin eight had been successfully emptied out and cleaned of all dust and spiderwebs, and the mess hall appeared as though a bomb had gone off. But they could clean all that up in the morning. For now, all they were going to do was sit around the fire and catch up from the last nine months apart. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hazel was sitting directly across the circle from Nico, snuggled into Frank’s side and making jealousy spike through Nico’s heart. He tried to listen to whatever Piper was saying about the girl she’d met, but all the talk about dating just made Nico feel worse. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey,” Reyna said, bumping Nico with her shoulder, seeming to catch on to Nico’s sour mood. “So. Will.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico didn’t get a chance to so much as react to hearing his name before Annabeth called for everyone’s attention. She and Percy were standing beside each other at one end of the circle, holding hands and smiling excitedly at one another. It made Nico’s stomach curl to see the usually PDA-averse couple showing affection so outwardly when all Nico wanted was to be able to do the same. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Since everyone’s almost here--” Annabeth started.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Always waiting on the medic, it seems,” Percy cut in with a laugh. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“--There are a couple of announcements to make. First off--” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you getting married?” Hazel asked with a gasp, clutching her hands together under her chin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Percy gazed at Annabeth with visible hearts in his eyes. “Nope, not until after grad school.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then what is it?” Jason asked, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, we all remember that last summer came with a few changes,” Annabeth said. “This summer is going to be mostly the same as last, but after this summer…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Chiron’s retiring,” Percy blurted, practically bursting with excited energy. “He’s giving me and Annabeth the camp. He’s going to show us everything we need to know, and starting next summer, we’ll be totally in charge.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mostly Percy,” Annabeth added, “because I have my own dream that I’m chasing, but I’ll still be here to help him.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s not as reassuring as you think it is,” Leo piped up. “Percy running a whole camp? That’s kind of terrifying.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He did most of it last year,” Annabeth said. “All I really did was help with orientation. Trust me, he’s more than capable.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sure you’ll be great, man,” Grover told him. “I just wish I could be here to see it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait, what?” Nico asked, his head snapping toward Grover. “What do you mean?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And that’s announcement number two,” Annabeth said. “Grover, the floor is yours.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Grover stood as Annabeth and Percy fell back a few steps, and he waved a little bit awkwardly. “Hey, guys. Um, so, you may recall that I graduated from grad school earlier this month. What you </span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> know is that I was invited to participate in a research trip to South America later this year. I’ll be gone for at least fifteen months, and if all goes well, I could get offered a permanent position on the team. So, uh, yeah. This’ll be my last year at Camp Delphi.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Percy had almost tackled him in a hug only seconds after Grover finished speaking. “Dude, I know you already told me all of this, but I’m gonna miss you, man!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Grover clapped him on the back. “I’ll miss you, too, Perce. But hey! We’ve got three months to hang out before I leave, and that’s all the time in the world!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That started a round of celebratory hugs. As always, Percy hugged Nico for far too long, and he had to be saved by Annabeth, only to be pulled into a hug more bone-crushing than he usually received from her. Grover’s eyes had started to sparkle with tears by the time Nico made his way around to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You were one of my first campers,” Grover told him as he dragged Nico closer. “Do you remember that? You used to be so little and cute.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, Neeks, what happened?” Percy teased from a few feet away. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve grown up so much,” Grover continued, pulling back to set his hands on Nico’s shoulders. “I’m proud of you, Nico.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico felt himself starting to flush from embarrassment, and shrugged Grover’s hands off of his shoulders. “Okay, mom.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A short while later, after everyone had settled back into their seats and returned to their relaxed chatter, Piper said, “Wait, who’s that?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Heads whipped around toward the parking lot. They watched as headlights shut off on one of the cars, and listened to the sound of a slamming door. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nico didn’t know how long he was frozen in his seat before Reyna nudged him with her elbow. In a second, Nico was on his feet, ignoring the pointed looks and </span>
  <em>
    <span>whoops</span>
  </em>
  <span> from his fellow counselors. He tried not to full-on sprint, but once he recognized the figure outlined in the setting sun, he couldn’t stop himself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Will!” Nico shouted, running toward him and leaping into his arms, causing Will to spin from the force of catching him. “I missed you,” Nico said into his shoulder, his arms and legs wrapping around Will’s torso as Will held him tightly with arms wound around his back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will pressed a kiss into the side of Nico’s head. “I missed you, too, darlin’.” </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thanks for reading!!<br/>if anybody has questions about this au feel free to talk to me on tumblr @buoyantsaturn!!!<br/>and don't forget to check out the other works in this collection!</p><p>again a very big thank you to liz @solange-lol who helped me title this fic and do a lot of the planning!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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